Grandfather was a two-time Pro Bowler and 14-year NFL veteran QB. Uncle No. 1 was a top-five QB of all time who landed in the Hall of Fame. Uncle No. 2 was a two-time Super Bowl MVP and defeater of the GOAT, Tom Brady. It was always going to be a lot to live up to for Texas Longhorns prodigy Arch Manning. Despite the fact that he has yet to really stamp himself on the field, he’s already been living up to the family name off the field for quite some time.
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Arch was a massive name the minute he set foot on campus in Austin in the summer of 2023. Barely a month after he committed to the Longhorns, an Arch Manning trading card sold on Panini for $102.5k, breaking a record set by a Panini National Treasures Luka Dončić Rookie Patch Autograph (RPA) card a few years earlier, which was sold for $100k.
Arch’s card in question was also a one-of-a-kind 1/1 Black Prizm trading card. It featured a sleek, all-black design with a glossy, reflective finish, and it certainly stood out as a premium edition. Since it’s a 1/1, it will never be made again, making it the most exclusive of exclusives.
There’s nothing like your first official trading card.
Watch @ArchManning see his 1/1 Black #Prizm card for the first time.
You can bid on the card by following the link, all proceeds go to charity through St. David’s Foundation: https://t.co/1oStTu8Izo pic.twitter.com/j2xECr69Kk
— Panini America (@PaniniAmerica) July 29, 2023
Manning had wasted no time getting in on the lucrative new NIL structure for NCAA stars. The first deal he made was with the premier purveyor of North American sports trading cards, Panini. From that deal emerged this record-breaking one-of-one Prizm Black autographed card.
If you were thinking Manning was already getting dollar signs in his eyes, think again. The card’s auction benefitted a Central Texas nonprofit with the help of St. David’s HealthCare and St. David’s Foundation. The winner of the auction is unknown, but that person got to have a meet-and-greet and a little game of catch with Manning.
The son of Cooper Manning, the eldest son of Archie Manning, and elder brother of Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch has been around money his whole life, so one NIL deal isn’t going to turn him into Scrooge McDuck.
After signing his second NIL deal a few weeks ago—this one with energy drink company Red Bull—Manning stressed that he’s not too worried about the money. He’s focused on playing football.
“It’s all about the people and the relationships rather than just having a bunch of deals. It’s really just dialing in on who you want to be partnered with and who you want to represent you. I’m focused on playing football, that’s what I love to do. I’m not here to do NIL deals, those are extra-curricular. But I do like to drink a Red Bull now and then, that’s for sure,” said the Longhorns QB.
Making a comment like that in the midst of announcing an NIL deal is a bit silly and short-sighted. But, we have no doubt that he’s speaking his truth here. His grandfather and both uncles are multi-millionaires, and those uncles are about as famous as an NFL player can get.
His father, Cooper, while not measuring up on the football field, has been no slouch in the financial sector. On top of hosting The Manning Hour on Fox, he is also the principal and managing partner of an investor relations firm called AJ Capital Partners.
Arch Manning will never be hurting for money. That’s why he can be much more selective with his NIL deals, and therefore spend much more time on the football side of things.
He’s already proven himself to be savvy and compassionate when it comes to financials—he’s got the highest NIL valuation of any college or high school athlete, at $6.6 million—but many questions remain about his footballing ability. He’s got quite a legacy to live up to on the gridiron, so he better hop to it.
