BEREA, Ohio — 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 will probably be eligible. Haslam was requested concerning the hypothesis on Tuesday.
“I feel if the Manning household, I’d wager that — and I do not know Arch in any respect — I’d wager he stays in faculty two years,” Haslam mentioned. “So, I do not even actually suppose that is value discussing.”
Arch, 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’ choose of quarterback Shedeur Sanders within the fifth spherical of the 2025 NFL draft, saying the choice was made by normal supervisor Andrew Berry, regardless of hypothesis that he performed a job within the choice. Cameras contained in the Browns’ draft room caught Haslam sitting behind Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski when the Sanders choose was introduced.
Cleveland ended Sanders’ shocking slide into Day 3 of the draft when it picked Sanders with the 144th total choose. Sanders was the second quarterback the Browns took within the draft, following Dillon Gabriel, who was chosen with the 94th total choose.
“We now have good course of,” Haslam mentioned. “For those who’d have informed me … Friday night time driving dwelling, y’all are going to choose Shedeur, I’d have mentioned, ‘That is not occurring.’ However, we had a dialog early that morning and we had a dialog later that day. I feel 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 choose Shedeur.”