

Peyton Manning has expressed strong support for his nephew’s decision to remain with the Texas Longhorns, effectively signaling a new era in Austin as Arch is set to begin the 2025 season as the team’s starting quarterback.
The NFL Hall of Famer, who won two Super Bowl honors with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, made no mention of the outgoing Quinn Ewers‘ failure to lead the team to a national championship; but gave his young relative a big thumbs up.
“He’s a great kid. He’s worked very hard. He’s been very patient,” Peyton said to Cris Collinsworth. “You know, I give him a lot of credit.
“In today’s college football world, most kids that are highly recruited, if they don’t play in their first or second year, usually transfer.
“I am really proud of him for staying and looking forward to watching him play this year.”
Arch, now in his third year at Texas, could have chosen to enter the transfer portal and jumped ship to a more desirable program needing a new quarterback, an increasingly common move for high-profile names who don’t start early.
And his patient ascent to the top job comes with full backing from inside his football-royalty family, which also includes the Super Bowl-winning Eli and his grandfather, also named Archie.
Peyton, who has seen the pressure of being a Manning quarterback firsthand, also revealed how he’s tried to support his nephew without interfering too much, still believing it’s important for the 21-year-old to figure out games himself.
“When Eli got to Ole Miss, I was watching the film of his games,” Peyton recalled. “And next thing, you know, I got four pages of notes as I’m writing things down.
“And this is kind of-I leave a lot of voicemails and voice memos now, but I was having a conversation with Eli, I wanted to help him…
“And I finally figured out, I said, ‘Let me be better off. Let me wait till Eli calls me and says, ‘Hey, what do you see? Right?'”
Will Arch Manning play like Peyton or Eli?
The former Colts and Broncos star also commented on Arch’s athleticism, attributing his mobility to his father, Cooper. It’s something Peyton and Eli never really had, so the NFL could be set for an entirely new Manning approach when he inevitably ascends.
Arch has showcased his dual-threat capabilities, particularly in the 2024 season in which he made 61-of-91 passes for 939 yards and nine touchdowns as well as leading Texas to its first-ever SEC victory on September 28, passing for 325 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score.
His efforts resulted in a 35-13 win over Mississippi State and the Longhorns‘ offensive coordinator, AJ Milwee, acknowledged Manning’s professional mindset and readiness.
“This kid has prepared himself like he has been a starter,” Milwee said. “Whether he started or not for the last two years.
“He has put himself in a position to be ready to play that game when the time comes.”
This news was originally published on this post .
Be the first to leave a comment