Browns on the March for Arch

Lost in all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the Los Angeles Rams’ acquisition of two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett – and the fantasy of a Rams defensive line potentially featuring Garrett and former Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald – is the feeling of perpetual sadness coming out of Cleveland.

Browns fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about the last few years, but seeing Garrett terrorize opposing offenses has definitely been one of them. Now, with Garrett on his way to Los Angeles, Browns fans enter the upcoming 2026 season with one thought on their minds: Just lose, baby.

Make no mistake about it, as soon as Cleveland decided to deal away the best defensive player in football, they let it be known that they are officially all-in on the March for Arch (Manning).

By all accounts, with all due respect to the diminutive Dillon Gabriel, the race for the Browns’ QB1 gig comes down to two guys: Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders… and neither one inspires much confidence.

Before suffering hist first Achilles injury in October 2024 (Yes, I said first, because he tore it again a few months later), Watson posted the lowest total QBR of any qualified

passer in the NFL (22.4). What’s more, since the QBR stat was created in 2017, among passers who threw 100 pass attempts or more across their team's first six games, Watson's mark ranked 558th out of 566. Unsurprisingly, the Browns went just 1- 5 in Watson’s final six starts and didn’t reach the 20-point threshold in any of those games. So even when he was healthy, he wasn’t any good; what can Browns realistically expect now that he’s coming off two Achilles tears?

Watson’s counterpart, Sanders, wasn’t much better during his rookie year. In fact, Shedeur was statistically the single worst quarterback in the NFL last season. His 10 interceptions over the final eight weeks were an NFL high. Moreover, of the 36 quarterbacks with at least 200 passing attempts in 2025, Sanders ranked last in completion percentage, passer rating, adjusted yards per attempt, and adjusted net yards per attempt. Regardless of what his loudest supporters might tell you, Shedeur has shown thus far to be all sizzle and no steak. 

Which brings us back to Manning. Despite a shaky start to his first season as the starter at Texas, Arch closed the season strong as the Longhorns went 7-1 in the second half. During that stretch, Manning posted a 15:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio through the air, added 5 rushing touchdowns on the ground, and most importantly, led his team to wins over #6 Oklahoma, #9 Vanderbilt, #3 Texas A&M and #18 Michigan. In fact, an anonymous NFL scout told FOX Sports back in December that he believes Manning would have gone first overall over Fernando Mendoza had he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. 

And to anyone thinking that Arch might try to ‘Pull an Eli’ like his uncle did to avoid being drafted by a dumpster fire franchise like Cleveland, please consider this: Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has had a close relationship with the Manning family for over three decades, thanks in large part to their deep-rooted ties to the University of Tennessee. The two sides are so close that Haslam himself was the first one to publicly declare that Arch would not be entering the 2026 NFL Draft – and he did so before the 2025 season even started. 

So, brace yourself Browns fans. The March for Arch in 2026 is going to be a ROUGH watch, but for the first time in forever, there’s light at the end of the tunnel in Cleveland.