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If you thought the Manning Family Era in football is over, think again
The Manning Era in football appeared to be over when Eli Manning was benched in favor of hot-shot rookie Daniel Jones. But the NFL's Royal Family isn't ready to relinquish the throne just yet. No, we're not talking about Eli regaining his starting job (Even as the biggest Eli guy, I've moved on to my man DJ), and we're certainly not talking about Peyton coming out of retirement to bark out audibles and float short, wobbly passes like he did in leading coming along for the ride on the Denver Broncos' Super Bowl L. We're talking about Arch Manning.
Not to be confused with two-time NFL Pro Bowler ArchIE Manning, Arch is the grandson of the family patriarch. He's the son of Peyton and Eli's older brother, Cooper. And wow, is he good for a high school freshman. Check out a few spring game highlights of the kid who plays for Isidore Newman School in New Orleans:
And here's another clip from his official debut last month that features better hype music:
Football fans have always been told Cooper, who had his football career cut short when he was diagnosed with a rare spinal condition at 18, was actually the best athlete in the Manning family. Now I'm starting to believe it.
Looks like young Arch has a bit more mobility than his pair of two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback uncles. And he's got similar arm strength (Peyton had nothing on the fastball at the end, but make no mistake, he could sling it in his prime—obviously, because he basically holds every NFL passing record) as well. In fact. . .
"He’s probably a little ahead of them as a freshman," Archie recently told the Indianapolis Star.
Ooo boy. That is music to Roger Goodell's ears. Between the Super Bowl MVPs, the great commercials, and yes, the Eli face, the Mannings are a goldmine for the NFL. And with Arch part of the 2023 class, that puts him on target to be eligible to play for pay starting in 2026. And you know pathetic teams like the Redskins and Dolphins will still be searching for a franchise QB.
OR, maybe, my Giants would like to honor Eli The Great by drafting another Manning. . . What?! Daniel Jones can't play forever!