Arch madness: Browns co-owner downplays Manning draft talk

Daniel OyefusiJul 29, 2025, 01:31 PM ET

CloseDaniel Oyefusi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald, as well as the Baltimore Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.

BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam on Tuesday dismissed speculation that he is eyeing Texas quarterback Arch Manning in the 2026 NFL draft.

Haslam is a Tennessee alumnus who has a strong relationship with the Manning family, including Peyton, Arch’s uncle. The Browns have two first-round picks in next year’s draft when Arch will be eligible. Haslam was asked about the speculation on Tuesday.

“I think if you know the Manning family, I would bet that — and I don’t know Arch at all — I would bet he stays in college two years,” Haslam said. “So, I don’t even really think that’s worth discussing.”

Arch Manning, who is entering his first season as a full-time starter, sidestepped questions about his potential to go pro when speaking at SEC media days earlier in the month.

Haslam also denied forcing the Browns’ pick of quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, saying the decision was made by general manager Andrew Berry, despite speculation that the co-owner played a role in the selection. Cameras inside the Browns’ draft room caught Haslam sitting behind Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski when the Sanders pick was announced.

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Cleveland ended Sanders’ surprising slide into Day 3 of the draft when it traded up to pick Sanders with the 144th pick. Sanders was the second quarterback the Browns took in the draft, following Dillon Gabriel, who was selected with the 94th pick.

“We have good process,” Haslam said. “If you’d have told me … Friday night driving home, y’all are going to pick Shedeur, I would have said, ‘That’s not happening.’ But we had a conversation early that morning and we had a conversation later that day. I think we had the right people involved in the conversation. At the end of the day, that’s Andrew Berry’s call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur.”