The Arizona Cardinals Are Playing the Long Game for Arch Manning, and Nobody's Stopping Them

The Arch Manning sweepstakes are officially on. Even though he just announced he'd return to Texas for one more season, the 2027 NFL Draft race is already heating up. And one NFC team looks way ahead of the curve.

Three franchises are considered the frontrunners to land the New Orleans native: the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets. But according to Mike Florio, the Cardinals might have the clearest path to the prize.

Arizona's Strategy: Accept 2026, Wait for the Real Prize

Here's what makes the Cardinals different. Florio suggests they might not even be fighting for a quarterback fix this year. Instead, they could be accepting reality in 2026 and letting nature take its course, positioning themselves to land Arch Manning when he hits the draft market after next college football season.

"Maybe the overriding plan, if there is one, is to accept reality for 2026 and allow nature to take its course. The prize could be dibs on whoever the top quarterback is after the 2026 college football season," Florio wrote.

But Nothing's Guaranteed in This Game

Here's the thing though: the popular assumption is that it'll be Arch Manning. But history says otherwise. "As we've seen, however, the player who emerges as the consensus number one for the next year could be a player no one is even thinking about currently. It happened with Mendoza. It happened with Joe Burrow," Florio pointed out.

Manning's numbers at Texas are impressive. He threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns with just seven interceptions last season. But that doesn't guarantee he'll be the consensus top pick when it's all said and done.

The Cardinals are betting big that Manning is worth the wait. We'll find out next year if their patience pays off.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.