NFL fans love football families.
From the Watt brothers to the Gronkowski brothers to the Matthews family, the NFL has featured many great families in recent seasons.
This year, Joey Porter’s son entered the NFL. Two years ago, Patrick Surtain’s son was drafted by the Denver Broncos. Next year, Marvin Harrison’s son will be eligible to enter the NFL draft.
The sons of football players we grew up watching will continue entering the league in the years to come.
The NFL’s most notable football family is arguably the Manning family, headlined by Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli. There isn’t a Manning currently playing in the NFL, but that could change in a few years.
Archie Manning is the patriarch who started it all, playing quarterback in the NFL from 1971-1984. His grandson, Arch, is now set to be a freshman at Texas this fall.
Here’s a quick look at the Manning family’s football journey.
Archie Manning (74)
Archie (6-3, 212 pounds) played high school football in Drew, Mississippi before going on to play college football at Ole Miss. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 1971 NFL draft and went on to earn a pair of Pro Bowl nods. Archie spent the final years of his career with the Houston Oilers (1982-1983) and Minnesota Vikings (1983-1984). He is now a member of the Saints Hall of Fame.
Cooper Manning (49)
That’s right, the often-forgotten Cooper Manning is the oldest son of Archie and Olivia Manning. Cooper was a star wide receiver at Isidore Newman High School in Louisiana. Before his freshman season at Ole Miss, Cooper was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which ended his football career. Cooper’s son, Arch, starred at Isidore Newman from 2019-2022.
Peyton Manning (47)
After playing quarterback at Isidore Newman, Peyton (6-5, 230 pounds) went on to play college football at Tennessee. He was the SEC Player of the Year in 1997 and he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy behind Charles Woodson that season. Manning was then picked by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick of the 1998 NFL draft. He would go on to win five NFL MVP awards and earn 14 Pro Bowl nods in the NFL.
Peyton spent the first 14 years of his career with the Colts before a neck injury threatened to end his career. Indianapolis then drafted Andrew Luck in 2012 and released Manning, allowing him to pick his next team as a free agent. Manning signed with the Denver Broncos and he became the first starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.
Peyton retired after the 2015 season and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2021. He is also in the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
Eli Manning (42)
Eli (6-4, 215 pounds) also played quarterback at Isidore Newman before going on to play college football at Ole Miss, following in Archie’s footsteps. After being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2003, Eli was drafted by the San Diego Chargers first overall as part of a draft-day trade with the New York Giants. The deal included several pieces but was centered around Eli going to the Giants and Philip Rivers (drafted fourth overall) going to the Chargers.
Eli went on to win two Super Bowls (both against Tom Brady’s New England Patriots) while earning four Pro Bowl nods during his career. Eli is now a member of the Giants Ring of Honor and he will become eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Arch Manning (18)
Cooper’s son, Arch, also played at Isidore Newman, breaking high school records that were previously held by his uncles, Peyton and Eli. He is now set to play college football for the Longhorns. Arch (6-4, 215 pounds) had a rough spring game and he’s unlikely to start in Week 1 this fall, but he’s certainly a quarterback prospect to keep an eye on. Arch would be eligible for the NFL draft in 2026. First things, first, though, he’ll have to win a starting job at Texas.
Who's next?
Cooper’s other son, Heid Manning (17), is an offensive lineman at Isidore Newman. Peyton’s son, Marshall (12), plays flag football and he showed off his impressive arm at the Pro Bowl earlier this year. Eli also has a son, Charlie (4). It will be a few years before either enter the football spotlight (should they choose to do so), but judging from the family’s history, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Marshall and Charlie playing QB in the future.
