Entering the 2025 season, the Cleveland Browns project to be the NFL’s worst team. But is it possible that next year could see Arch Manning and Nick Saban join forces in an attempt to resurrect the downtrodden franchise? Colin Cowherd seems to think so.
To open Wednesday’s episode of The Herd, Cowherd played a clip of ESPN Cleveland host Tony Rizzo discussing Browns owner Jimmy Haslam’s love of Manning. And in adding his own reporting, the Fox Sports host shared that the potential for the Texas quarterback and former Alabama head coach to both wind up in Cleveland in 2026 is considered “the worst-kept secret in the South.”
“This is not a conspiracy theory,” Cowherd declared.
The dots aren’t particularly difficult to connect.
After all, Haslam is a prominent booster for the University of Tennessee, which gives him obvious ties to the Manning family byway of Peyton. And according to Cowherd, Haslam’s “circle of trust” also includes prominent agent Jimmy Sexton, who happens to represent Saban.
Cowherd also pointed out that the two worst teams in the NFL this season could very well be the Browns and New Orleans Saints, who have their own connections to the Maning family and Saban, who won a national title at LSU. Factor in the recent rumblings regarding the 7-time national champion returning to coaching and it might not be a stretch to think that either the Browns or Saints could be in a position to not only draft Manning but also hire Saban, although most of Cowherd’s segment focused on Cleveland.
“The Mannings are royalty to Jimmy Haslam. Jimmy Haslam also loves headlines,” he noted. “That’s why he pushed to draft Johnny Manziel and Baker Mayfield. They were the most talked about quarterbacks. It’s why he signed a ridiculous guaranteed contract for Deshaun Watson. It would get discussed.
“So this is not a conspiracy theory, OK? The circle of trust for Jimmy Haslam is the Manning family and Jimmy Sexton. Sabans, Manning, Haslam, South. That’s what I’ve said,” Cowherd stated, before later reiterating: “this story is a poorly kept secret.”
Obviously, a lot could change between now and next offseason, including the possibility that Arch Manning won’t live up to the hype in his first full season as a starter and/or that the Browns could somehow be better than expected, taking them out of position to draft the Longhorns signal-caller. It’s also worth noting that there’s no guarantee that Manning will even make himself eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, as both his uncles Peyton and Eli completed their college eligibility before beginning their pro careers.
Still, there are a lot of connections here and all of this is certainly worth monitoring — especially in Cleveland and New Orleans. If nothing else, it gives both teams’ fanbases something to hold onto heading into what most are projecting to be a lost season for both franchises.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.