Arch Manning was the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy when he entered his first full season as the starting quarterback at Texas, but the year has not gone as hoped for him. Tom Brady does not believe that is entirely Manning’s fault.
In an interview with Elizabeth Swinton of Sports Illustrated that was published on Tuesday, Brady spoke about the challenges that Manning and other young star players face while trying to develop in today’s game. The seven-time Super Bowl champion essentially said players are not given the freedom to fail.
“Before, [players] had the kind of ability to fail when people weren’t watching, to build that resiliency within themselves,” Brady said. “So I think it’s a real challenge these days for these young kids because Arch Manning, you know, seems like a great kid and great player.”
Brady cited the fact that even Manning’s uncles, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, had “a lot of years to develop.” Brady said the same was true for him in his legendary career.
“… I was a college kid once, too, and I wasn’t the best quarterback at that time,” Brady admitted. “And how people remember me after my pro career was a lot different than I remember me after my college career, which is a lot different than me how they remember me after my high school year. So give people a chance to learn and grow and develop and put them in the right situation.”
Tom Brady feels the media is too negative
It goes without saying that Arch Manning has had massive shoes to fill. He is the nephew Peyton and Eli, who won four Super Bowls combined during their careers. Arch is also the grandson of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Archie Manning.
Brady feels that the current media environment has not been kind to Arch.
“It’s just a very interesting media environment with the negativity associated with people,” Brady said. “And I’d love to see some of these young players not have their confidence broken, you know, because they’re not their uncle … as a 17- or 18-year-old kid,” Brady said.
Arch Manning has been inconsistent at best
Texas entered the season ranked No. 1 in the country. Manning was also viewed by many as a lock to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While there is still time for him to prove he is worthy of that type of investment, the results have not been great thus far.
Manning has led the Longhorns to a 5-2 record. The highlight of Texas’ season was a huge 23-6 win over No. 6 Oklahoma. Manning was an efficient 21-of-27 in that game for 166 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He also rushed for 34 yards on four carries.
Manning has 1,449 passing yards, 12 touchdown passes and five interceptions on the season. He has also rushed for 193 yards and five scores.
The lackluster performance thus far in 2025 may inspire Manning to return to Texas for another season. It sounds like Brady thinks that would be a good idea.
