Cleveland’s quarterback future is already being mapped out, and according to a veteran NFL personnel executive, the Browns’ long-term target is Texas star Arch Manning - not Shedeur Sanders.
Veteran NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported that the thinking inside the organization points toward Manning in the 2027 NFL draft, a plan that would shape the Browns’ quarterback room for years to come. The executive told LaCanfora, “Haslam wants (Texas QB) Arch Manning, that’s what this is really all about,” and added, “I’m not sure he’s coming out (entering the draft).
I know Jimmy, and I know how Jimmy thinks. He’s a huge booster for (University of) Tennessee.
He has always had a hard-on for Peyton (Manning, uncle of the QB prospect). He wants Arch Manning playing in that new stadium.”
That new stadium is part of the picture, too. The Browns are moving ahead with a domed facility in Brook Park, Ohio, with an estimated price tag of about $2.4 billion.
Haslam Sports Group is expected to fund most of the private investment, and the opening is planned for 2029. The idea, based on the reporting, is clear: the Browns would like Manning in place when that building opens.
That doesn’t mean the present situation is settled. La Canfora said there’s already pressure on Deshaun Watson after an unimpressive season-opening performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he expects Watson to lose the job by Week 3. In La Canfora’s view, that opens the door for Shedeur Sanders.
“The Dog Pound is contemplating what is to come, Haslam will recognize the optics of the situation and we strongly suspect it will be time for youngster Shedeur Sanders to take over,” LaCanfora wrote.
He was even sharper on Watson’s play, saying, “More than anything else, Watson is committed to this bit, playing the role of game-killing heel. He seemed intent on trying to throw an early interception against the Jaguars, he never really looked fired up to be playing, he embodied the idea that he is just there for the paycheck and it shows in pretty much everything he does on the football field.”
Still, even if Sanders gets the starting job, the broader plan apparently does not change. The Browns’ reported interest in Arch Manning remains the long view, and the only thing that would alter that path is Sanders outperforming expectations when given his chances. Sanders started the final seven games of the 2025 season, but the team, according to the reporting, did not see enough to fully trust him yet.
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Brent Venables has made clear the response has to come quickly, because this is no time for the offense to keep searching for answers on the fly. For Oklahoma, the issue is bigger than one bad afternoon, and the next stretch of games will show whether the staff can adjust enough to steady things before the seasons most demanding part arrives. [Read more 🡒]