When Archie Manning, former NFL quarterback and patriarch of football royalty, declared that his grandson Arch Manning wouldn’t be declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, fan reactions poured in across the league.
But none landed quite like those from the New Orleans Saints fanbase, who met the news with a perfect blend of sarcasm, loyalty, and football-weary optimism.
Arch Manning, currently at Texas, is one of the most highly anticipated quarterback prospects in years. With NFL teams already eyeing his draft class, Archie shut down speculation, saying that Arch would remain in college beyond 2025.
This decision disrupted the hopes of several franchises quietly preparing to tank for the chance to draft him. Yet it was the Saints fans, still chasing a worthy successor to Drew Brees, who may have responded best.
One passionate Saints fan went viral for his response on X (formerly Twitter): “We gonna be a)) again in 2026 too buddy. We can do this all day.”
?It was a self-deprecating but strangely hopeful message, implying that the team would continue to struggle, but be ready for Arch when he is available.
Losing now, hoping later
Other fans jumped in with jokes of their own, reinforcing the shared NFL truth: some teams are just perpetually rebuilding. One user wrote, “Cleveland Browns say: ‘hold my beer,'” while another added, “He think his drafted team will change lol. Brother the trash teams are always trash lol.”
A Dallas Cowboys fan even chimed in mockingly: “We’re trading Dak to the Saints. We’ll take a 10-piece chicken nugget meal and a first-rounder to make it easy.”
The reason for this comedic goldmine is simple – NFL fans know how rare it is to land a true franchise quarterback. And without one, even a decent roster can fall apart. The Saints have floated in mediocrity since Brees retired, and the hope for a quarterback savior like Arch Manning has grown with each losing season.
Unfortunately for those banking on Arch in 2026, Archie Manning’s announcement means teams will have to wait. Manning himself has echoed the sentiment, saying he’s focused on his current season at Texas. Analysts now suggest he may stay in college until 2027.
For Saints fans, that’s just one more year of staying bad, but staying hopeful. Because as the superfan joked, “We can do this all day.” Whether it’s 2026, 2027, or later, the dream of Arch in New Orleans lives on, bad record and all.
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