Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has yet to start a full season of college football, but former NFL MVP Cam Newton already has him pegged as the future of the Dallas Cowboys.
On his podcast 4th and 1, Newton floated the possibility that the Cowboys could move on from Dak Prescott and pursue Manning as their next franchise quarterback.
“If you do not perform this year, that door is going to close, and in comes Arch Manning,” Newton said. He claimed Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would “do any and everything” to secure the highly touted quarterback. Newton even painted a cinematic picture of the Manning family on Sunday Night Football, headlining a new era in Dallas.
Newton’s comments leaned heavily into pressure facing Prescott, who has yet to take the Cowboys past the NFC Divisional Round.
Newton argued that with the weapons Prescott has had-like Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Trevon Diggs, and Stephon Gilmore-the quarterback should have delivered more. Still, the scenario he envisions is far from simple.
Why a Manning-to-Dallas scenario is unlikely (for now)
There are major obstacles to this fantasy. For starters, Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million extension in 2024. If the Cowboys were to move on after this season, they would face a nearly $90 million dead cap hit via trade-or an astronomical $130 million if they released him outright. Financially, the move would be nearly impossible.
Then there’s Arch Manning himself. Despite the media buzz, he hasn’t yet proven himself on a full-time college stage. He’s thrown fewer than 100 collegiate passes and is expected to compete for the starting job in the 2025 season.
Reports from Texas suggest he is progressing well, and his development under coach Steve Sarkisian remains a priority.
There’s also no guarantee that Manning enters the 2026 NFL Draft. Both of his uncles, Peyton and Eli, played multiple seasons in college, and Arch may follow that path. Additionally, with strong NIL deals reportedly worth over $6 million, there’s little financial pressure for him to jump early.
Even if Manning does declare, there’s no certainty the Cowboys would be in position to draft him. The team would likely need a poor season to get a high draft pick or trade up aggressively-something they rarely do for quarterbacks.
So while Cam Newton’s scenario of Arch Manning wearing a star on his helmet is entertaining and headline-grabbing, the real-world logistics suggest it’s a long shot. For now, Manning’s focus remains in Austin, and Prescott still holds the reins in Dallas-at least for the near future.
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