You have to start with the last names. There’s no other way to tell the stories of Shedeur Sanders or Arch Manning.
Manning is the royal family name of quarterbacks. Sanders just denotes greatness.
Shedeur (Cleveland Browns rookie) and Arch (Texas Longhorns new starter) didn’t choose their last names or their heritage. That’s not how it works.
In some ways, their last names have surely helped them reach the points they’re at. But in others ways, there must’ve been obstacles that only someone with famous family could understand.
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The spotlights that come with being Shedeur and Arch are bright, all the time. And so when they struggle, the hate is loud.
They have that in common, wrote Cowboys WR legend Dez Bryant in a thoughtful post on X.
This is what Bryant had to say in a smart comparison:
“I feel bad for Shedeur Sanders and Arch Manning…All I see down my timeline is hate for each player.. These dudes wanna play football…Allow their play to determine if they are good or not…One game doesn’t define either QB… Both guys have what it takes to be great…I also understand we need talk to sell stories. Please stay out of mentions with the nonsense (racism..black or white s—) I wish we all was green if I’m being honest. I give real evaluations on what I see.. I don’t kiss a— or do things to have a relationship with anybody…I have non biased conversations about the game I love…”
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For those trying to be level-headed about these two young quarterbacks, Bryant’s take has to feel like a breath of fresh air.
There’s still plenty of reason to believe in both Shedeur and Arch. They’ll still get more opportunities. It’s still early in their respective new chapters.
Their last names are the start of the story. But if these QBs have their say, they won’t be the only thing that defines them.
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