The Arizona Cardinals Are Already Playing 4D Chess For Arch Manning in 2027
The Arch Manning sweepstakes are heating up a full year before the 2027 NFL draft even happens. After the Texas Longhorns quarterback announced he would return for one more season, teams across the league are already positioning themselves to land the New Orleans native. But one NFC team might have figured out the cheat code to get him.
Arizona Is Setting Up For the Long Game
The Arizona Cardinals look like they're playing the patient game. According to Mike Florio, the Cardinals' lack of a clear quarterback plan could actually be intentional. Instead of scrambling to fix things right now, they might be accepting reality for 2026 and letting things play out naturally. The payoff? A shot at the top quarterback prospect after next season's college football season.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at Kalshi"Maybe the overriding plan, if there is one, is to accept reality for 2026 and allow nature to take its course," Florio wrote. "The prize could be dibs on whoever the top quarterback is after the 2026 college football season."
Three Teams In the Hunt, But Arizona's Got the Edge
The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are also considered front-runners to land Manning, but Arizona seems best positioned. The Cardinals have the draft capital and the quarterback need to make a move when the time comes. Manning's family connection might complicate things for some franchises, but the Cardinals can simply wait it out.
Last season with Texas, Manning threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns with seven interceptions. One word of caution though: the consensus number one pick could change. It happened with Fernando Mendoza. It happened with Joe Burrow. Nobody knew those guys would be the story back in the day. Manning is the popular assumption right now, but the college football landscape is unpredictable.
The race for Manning's signature starts now. Watch how the Cardinals navigate 2026. They might be setting themselves up for a franchise-changing moment in April 2027.
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