Here's Everything Arch Manning Has to Do Before He Can Return To The Field

What it will take for Arch Manning to clear concussion protocol and return for the Texas Longhorns

Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Medical staff check on Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during overtime against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns escaped from Starkville with an overtime win, 45-38, over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and marked their second straight overtime win after doing it against the Kentucky Wildcats the weekend before.

Now, as the Longhorns return to the Forty Acres ready to welcome the Vanderbilt Commodores in a top-20 showdown for their first home game in over a month, they might have to do it without Arch Manning running the offense as their quarterback.

After hitting the ground during a rushing attempt in their possession during overtime, his head hit the ground, and he was immediately taken out of the game and checked for a concussion, and would not return. So what will it take now for Manning to return under center for the Longhorns?

Six-Step Checklist

Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

For the Longhorns, they remain one of the more polarizing teams in the country, showcasing moments where they prove themselves a force to be reckoned with, despite their two losses. At other times, though, they have shown that continued offensive struggles will hinder them and could derail their season as a whole.

So, for Steve Sarkisian and Manning, what would it take for him to return to his role under center, and what is the deadline for him to return? That answer is a lot tougher than what is immediately thought of, as he must go through a checklist of every box and be determined to return from a team physician or a medically qualified physician designee.

As for a deadline, he needs to have a non-contact practice by Thursday at the latest to be cleared by gametime on Saturday. Throughout the checklist, though, each part takes about a day, and if symptoms return at any point, he must go back to the previous step and clear it again.

• Step One: Symptom-limited activities of daily living

• Step Two: Aerobic exercise with light resistance training as tolerated (no more than mild or brief exacerbation of symptoms)

2a: Light (up to approximately 55 percent maximum heart rate)
2b: Moderate (up to approximately 70 percent maximum heart rate)

• Step Three: Individual sport-specific exercise and activity without any risk of inadvertent head-impact exposure

• Step Four: Non-contact practice with progressive resistance training

• Step Five: Unrestricted practice or training

• Step Six: Unrestricted return to sport (unrestricted return to sport should not occur prior to unrestricted return-to-learn for injuries occurring while the athlete is enrolled in class)

For now, all they can do is wait, and with it only being the beginning of the week, they have a while to go until the practice deadline of Thursday. Should he not be ready to go, they will turn to Matthew Caldwell, who threw the game-winning pass in overtime over the Bulldogs, and someone the Longhorns feel confident turning to should they need to.