"It's a real challenge": Tom Brady feels for Arch Manning over incessant negativity in 2025 season

In the changing landscape of college football, young athletes often happen to be under the unwarranted attention of media and fans. Texas quarterback Arch Manning suffered a similar situation even before the 2025 season began.

Media drew comparisons between him and his legendary uncles Peyton and Eli, expecting him to follow a similar trail in just his first year as starting QB for the program.

According to NFL great Tom Brady, times have changed and the mental toll for young players is out of bounds. He addressed the unwarranted media attention players like Manning receive and how different it was when he first played for Michigan.

The former quarterback was speaking to Sports Illustrated while shooting for a commercial.

"Before, players had the kind of ability to fail when people weren't watching, to build that resiliency within themselves. So I think it's a real challenge these days for these young kids because Arch Manning, you know, seems like a great kid and great player,* Brady said in an interview while promoting SharkNinja Crispi Pro.

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Brady mentioned that he hopes players find a way to cope with criticisms while adding that Arch's uncles Eli and Peyton had a lot of years to develop and grow in their responsibilities.

"Peyton [Manning] had a lot of years to develop. Eli [Manning] had a lot of years to develop and, you know, I was a college kid once, too, and I wasn't the best quarterback at that time. And how people remember me after my pro career was a lot different than I remember me after my college career,” Brady explained.

Arch Manning not concerned by rumors around his starting role

Even though Texas got back on track after a jittery showdown earlier in the season, Manning was under the constant radar of critics.

His on-field struggles in terms of accuracy and footwork stirred rumors of a potential step-down from his current role as Texas starting QB. While speaking to the reporters, he mentioned not to get distracted by the outside noise.

“Nah, I can control what I can control. I work hard during the week, prepare my best and go out and try my hardest on game day. That's all you can do,” Manning said earlier this week.

This coming weekend, Texas will play MS State on the road. They have incurred two losses so far and aspire to be among the SEC teams to earn a playoff spot. Each and every game in the upcoming weekend is crucial for Manning and his team.