Eli Manning just eased all Jets fans' concerns about Arch not wanting New York

It's no secret that Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is one of college football's highest-rated prospects ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft. Go ahead and look up any mock drafts ahead of next April; you'll find Manning's name near or at the top in nearly every single one.

Another obvious secret? The New York Jets are in dire need of a quarterback. Geno Smith is solid, yeah, but he turns 36 on October 10 and isn't going to be here forever. Armed with three first-round picks in the 2027 Draft, it feels fairly obvious that the Jets are going to use at least one of those picks on a collegiate signal caller.

It remains to be seen if the Jets are going to have the opportunity to even select Manning, let alone if he wants to be a member of the organization. Remember, his Uncle Eli and the Manning family apparatus were able to dictate where he went in the 2004 NFL Draft, forcing a trade from the San Diego Chargers to the New York Giants.

Would Arch do the same thing if he were in a position to join the Jets? Fans have been worried about that prospect for a long time, but it seems like the answer is no.

Eli Manning sounds like an uncle who wouldn't mind his nephew going to the New York Jets

Manning, the former Giants quarterback, appeared on Barstool Sports' Pardon My Take this week and was asked about the possibility of his nephew landing with Big Blue's crosstown rival, the Jets.

"There’s two ways I look at this. For purely selfish reasons, I wouldn’t mind if he went to the Jets, just because I live right there, I could go to games, I could have dinner with him during the week a little bit. I think it’d be great for him to have some family nearby, so I wouldn’t mind him going to the Jets, being up in New York...that’s just my selfish reasons and I think he could help them."

Now, Manning's comments may not sound all that serious. Of course, he would like to have his nephew living in close proximity to him; what family wouldn't love to have that sort of connectivity?

But the real revelation is yet another instance of Arch and his family welcoming the possibility of being drafted by the Jets. Long-time New York sports reporter Gary Myers indicated something similar in February.

It's recently felt like high-end quarterback prospects would do their best to avoid the Jets if possible. Analysts speculated that was the reason Oregon's Dante Moore returned to college for another season despite being the odds-on favorite to go No. 2 overall this past April.

But the Jets, with their wide array of young offensive weaponry and promising offensive line, are becoming one of the most desirable destinations for a quarterback prospect, and it seems like the Manning family has recognized that.

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