Mike Francesa makes a bold prediction.

Longtime New York sports broadcaster Mike Francesa believes the New York Jets will never get the chance to draft one of football’s most talked-about young quarterbacks, Arch Manning.

Francesa shared this opinion during a recent episode of his podcast. He said the Manning family would step in if the Jets ever had a chance to draft Arch. The Texas quarterback is already getting a lot of attention as a possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Francesa spoke very strongly about the topic. He believes the Manning family would control the situation if necessary.

“They will not let Arch Manning play for the Jets,” Francesa said. “They will manipulate the draft, They will never let him get drafted by the Jets, you can take that to the bank.”

Francesa based his claim on the family’s history and the Jets’ long struggles at quarterback.

The Mannings Vs. The Draft

Mike Francesa (Photo Via X)

The Manning family already has a reputation for influencing draft situations. Francesa mentioned past examples involving Arch’s famous uncles.

Peyton Manning reportedly avoided the New York Jets before the 1997 NFL Draft. Many people believed he stayed for one more year at the University of Tennessee rather than risk being drafted by New York. Peyton later entered the 1998 NFL Draft, where the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the No. 1 pick. He later became a Hall of Fame quarterback.

The family made an even stronger move during the 2004 NFL Draft. Eli Manning and his family told the San Diego Chargers that he would not play for them. The Chargers still picked him first overall, but traded him to the New York Giants. Eli later won two Super Bowls with the Giants.

Francesa believes the family could do something similar if the Jets ever get the No. 1 pick when Arch Manning enters the draft.

The Jets also have a long history of missing out on top quarterbacks. In 2020, the team won two late games after they were already out of playoff contention. Those wins pushed them out of the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars used that pick to select Trevor Lawrence.

The Jets instead drafted Zach Wilson with the No. 2 pick, but the move did not work out well for the team.

A similar situation happened last season. The Jets beat the Atlanta Falcons in a late game, which again hurt their draft position. That win removed their chance to get Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, with the top pick in 2026.

Francesa thinks that history may not matter anyway. If the Jets ever get the No. 1 pick when Arch Manning enters the draft, he believes the Manning family would step in before the selection becomes official.