Arch insanity: Browns co-owner downplays Manning draft speak

BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam on Tuesday dismissed hypothesis that he’s eyeing Texas quarterback Arch Manning within the 2026 NFL draft.

Haslam is a Tennessee alumnus who has a robust relationship with the Manning household, together with Peyton, Arch’s uncle. The Browns have two first-round picks in subsequent yr’s draft when Arch shall be eligible. Haslam was requested concerning the hypothesis on Tuesday.

“I believe if the Manning household, I might guess that — and I do not know Arch in any respect — I might guess he stays in faculty two years,” Haslam stated. “So, I do not even actually assume that is price discussing.”

Arch Manning, who’s getting into his first season as a full-time starter, sidestepped questions on his potential to go professional when talking at SEC media days earlier within the month.

Haslam additionally denied forcing the Browns’ decide of quarterback Shedeur Sanders within the fifth spherical of the 2025 NFL draft, saying the choice was made by common supervisor Andrew Berry, regardless of hypothesis that the co-owner performed a task within the choice. Cameras contained in the Browns’ draft room caught Haslam sitting behind Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski when the Sanders decide was introduced.

Cleveland ended Sanders’ shocking slide into Day 3 of the draft when it traded as much as decide Sanders with the 144th decide. Sanders was the second quarterback the Browns took within the draft, following Dillon Gabriel, who was chosen with the 94th decide.

“We have now good course of,” Haslam stated. “In case you’d have informed me … Friday night time driving residence, y’all are going to select Shedeur, I might have stated, ‘That is not taking place.’ However we had a dialog early that morning and we had a dialog later that day. I believe we had the correct individuals concerned within the dialog. On the finish of the day, that is Andrew Berry’s name. Andrew made the decision to select Shedeur.”