Would the Manning Family Let Arch Manning Play for the Jets? Mike Francesa Says No

Following the first week of free agency, the New York Jets are the betting favorites to earn the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Considering the plan to start Geno Smith at quarterback, we recommend readers take that bet now, before the odds rise.

In theory, this upcoming season would not be the worst time to have a bad year. Potential top draft picks in 2027 include quarterback Arch Manning and generational wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. However, New York radio legend Mike Francesa is already warning fans that the Manning family will not let Arch go to the Jets.

"I’ll tell you this, Jet fans. I hate to give you this a year in advance, and it will probably make you hate the Mannings more if you’re a Jet fan and you hate the Mannings already, because remember, Peyton didn’t want to play for the Jets. They will not let Arch Manning play for the Jets," Francesa said on his podcast this week.

"I’m telling you right now, they will manipulate the draft. They will never let him get drafted by the Jets. You can take that to the bank."

Moreover, the Manning family opposed the then San Diego Chargers drafting Eli Manning when they held the first overall pick in 2004. While the Chargers ultimately selected Eli with the pick, the Mannings pushed the team to trade him 45 minutes later to the Giants for the No. 4 overall pick, Philip Rivers.

Not to trigger Jets fans any further, but Mike Francesa has a point.

If the Manning family has not allowed its young quarterbacks to play for putrid franchises in the past, it probably would not let Arch play for the New York Jets, which have been as poorly run in recent years as any team in NFL history.

What is worse, the Jets remain a circus regardless of the head coach. The team would likely fire Aaron Glenn if it finishes with the worst record in 2026. But how could anyone have even an ounce of confidence that Woody Johnson would hire someone better?

Heck, fans have even speculated that Oregon quarterback Dante Moore returned to school this year after he was widely projected to go to the Jets at second overall. We do not know if that is true, but the thought of Moore avoiding the NFL because of the Jets makes us chuckle.

That said, if the Manning family prevents the Jets from selecting Arch, perhaps by having him return to college, Moore might end up a Jet after all, just a year later.

Put simply, no one should root harder for the Jets to win a few extra games this season than Arch Manning, Dante Moore, and whichever other college quarterbacks prove worthy of the top of the draft.

Of course, there are some Arch haters who say he has done nothing to warrant consideration for the top pick this far out. Technically, that is true. Manning did not live up to the preseason hype. However, he showed significant improvement late in the season, particularly against Texas A&M and Michigan, and has all the tools to develop into a top-tier draft prospect.

Actually, now that we think about it, perhaps Arch should not be in such a rush to answer all the questions about his play. Maybe another shaky year would allow him the opportunity to slide past the Jets in the draft next year.