Arch Manning’s long-awaited debut as the Texas Longhorns’ QB1 didn’t go as planned. The 21-year-old, who took a redshirt in his true freshman season, stepped into massive expectations tied to his last name and five-star pedigree.
Advertisement
Manning struggled in his first start under center, completing just 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards with a TD and an INT to show for it. This was an underwhelming outing for a prospect widely projected as next year’s No. 1 draft pick and considered a potential Heisman candidate.
For Manning’s critics, it was all the ammunition they needed. Social media filled up with negativity, with many pointing to his shaky throws, lack of poise under pressure, and claims that he isn’t ready for the NFL or the responsibility of leading the Longhorns’ offense. However, Tom Brady offered a perspective that cut through this noise.
For Brady, Manning’s rocky start isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a necessary step in the process of becoming a franchise leader.
“So, you know, I think there’s a blessing and a curse in some of it. The curse is that a lot of people pile on. The blessing is I don’t believe there needs to be resilience built up in the quarterback as well,” Brady said during a chat with Pro Football Focus.
In the GOAT’s mind, tough beginnings can shape tougher leaders. “Even though he didn’t have his best game today and they lost, if he uses this to his advantage, Arch, he’s going to be tougher for it and he’s going to have a better next game because of it,” he added.
Brady also tried talking some sense to Manning’s haters by pointing out the unique burden today’s young quarterbacks face, compared to previous generations. “Unfortunately, these kids now at 19 years old or 20, they’re forced to be the leaders of a college organization,” he said.
“And it was probably more the head coach, but because now there [are] so many people moving every year in college, it’s really thrust upon that quarterback position to do that,” added Brady.
The expectations, the Patriots legend suggested, can make a rocky debut look worse than it really is. After all, young Arch still has plenty of time to figure it out.
“There’s a long season to play out. Arch has years beyond this to still play in college if he wants, but it’s going to be up to him to see how big he really wants to dig within himself and how deep he wants to dig in order to be successful,” Brady added.
But despite Manning’s mediocre outing, which saw the Longhorns scoreless in the first three quarters, Brady made it clear that he’s a big believer in the youngster’s potential.
“There’s nothing to show me that he won’t be [a proper QB]. He’s been that way in high school and even last year. And he’s got a lot of good people around him that know exactly what to do,” argued the GOAT.
For now, the criticism is loud. And it’s inevitable, because the Longhorns QB1 is the biggest name in college football today. But Brady’s defense of Manning is a reminder to not miss the big picture… That quarterbacks aren’t built in a game or even a season. They’re forged in adversity, with the GOAT being the biggest example of this.
So for Archie Manning’s grandson, the story has only just begun, and that too with a bang. Because the bigger the setbacks, the stronger the comebacks!
