If the Steelers hope to land QB Arch Manning in the draft, then they had better learn to practice patience. The Texas Longhorns quarterback paid no mind to talk of the 2026 NFL Draft when addressing the media yesterday. After all, he shouldn’t, of course, as for the moment, his resume is primarily his last name.
During his press conference at SEC Media Days yesterday, one reporter asked Arch Manning, a potential Steelers draft target, about his NFL future. “I’m really just worried about getting through this interview and then getting through the run tomorrow”, he said. “I’m just focused on this year and getting better each day”.
The son of Cooper Manning, Arch has two very famous uncles, Peyton and Eli. The Manning brothers each won two Super Bowls, Eli coming out in 2004, the year the Steelers drafted Ben Roethlisberger.
They have only drafted one quarterback in the first round since then, which proved a failure. Their first-round pick in 2022, Kenny Pickett, is already on his third team. With Pittsburgh hosting the 2026 NFL Draft, however, the Steelers are maneuvering to target a quarterback high in the next class, whether that includes Arch Manning or not.
While the Steelers and the league do not know if Manning will declare for next year’s draft, there are others who may prove better options than this year’s draft. The list includes Drew Allar of Penn State, Carson Beck of Miami (FL), and Cade Klubnik of Clemson.
Pittsburgh is moving forward in 2025 with a one-year arrangement with Aaron Rodgers. He has already stated publicly this is, in all likelihood, his last season, and that is all they expect. The Steelers’ goal is to draft a quarterback in 2026, Manning or no.
Arch Manning only has two starts under his belt, having played behind 2025 draft selection Quinn Ewers. In his college career, he is 63-of-95 passing for 969 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has four rushing touchdowns on 28 carries for 115 yards. More than half of that came on a 67-yard touchdown against UTSA.
“I learned so much from Quinn my two years behind him”, Manning said. “I think he handled it like a pro. It’s definitely not easy having me as the backup with all the media, but he’s always been nice to me and good to me. I’m forever grateful for him”.
With Ewers now in the NFL, Arch Manning enters his redshirt sophomore season as the Longhorns’ quarterback. But he isn’t thinking about what feels like his inevitable football future. Right now, he just wants to learn and grow—and play football.
