Steve Sarkisian Slams Door Shut on Arch Manning Injury Rumors

No quarterback in the country has been more scrutinized than Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning.

Whether it is his sloppy mechanics, perceived nerves, inconsistent accuracy or any other number of issues have emerged via analysts and internet experts, there is seemingly no end to the deconstruction of every facet of Manning's game.

Never has that been more evident than in the last two weeks, with a strange and unsubstantiated narrative surrounding Manning and his facial expressions that emerged through social media rumor mongering. The basis of the rumor, of course, is that Manning has been wincing due to shoulder pain when he throws the football, resulting in inconsistencies in his accuracy and mechanics.

Fortunately, it appears that the internet is going to have to find a new narrative to spin in their detractions of the Texas quarterback.

Steve Sarkisian Shuts Down Arch Manning Injury Rumors

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning throws an interception to Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. | Kyle Robertson/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

"According to who? Arch said that to you? According to who?" Sarkisian asked when pressed about the injury rumors. "He doesn't have any (shoulder pain)... I've never film any of you guys when you're using the bathroom so I don't know what faces you make when you're doing that."

This is now the second time Sarkisian has shut down these rumors as well, quickly dismissing the thought following the Longhorns' 38-7 win over San Jose State on Saturday.

"I don't know. News to me," Sarkisian said.

Manning also shut down the idea himself, explaining that he simply knew he missed the throw as it was leaving his hands.

"No, no," Manning said when asked about the rumors. "I got to make that throw. He was open. Ran a good dig route. So, I got to make that throw."

In the game, Manning completed 19 of 30 passes for 295 yards and four touchdowns with one interception, as well as rushing for another touchdown.

But hey, he's injured right?

The Origin of the Rumors

It's hard to say where the rumors surrounding Manning being injured truly began. But one of the more prominent examples began with former NFL QB Kurt Benkert, who is now a live streamer and internet analyst.

"Arch clearly has a shoulder injury," Benkert proclaimed to his 195,000 followers on X. "They definitely aren’t disclosing it."

Then, another video went viral on X from the account Footballholics that now has 2.9 million views, with someone claiming that Arch shouldn't be throwing a football while being "if it hurts that bad."

Arch, if your shoulder is hurting that bad when you throw, gtfo off the field pic.twitter.com/u3rw60Xn7s
— Footballholics (@Footballholics2) September 6, 2025

When in reality, as you can see here from this video ahead of the Ohio State game, it appears to be simply the face he makes when he throws a football.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Arch is too ready and not phased one bit
Haters hate to see this type of confidence
Y’all are cooked man 🤘💪 pic.twitter.com/vvm4ahcAv9
— Sir Himothy Stackhouse|Stacc Loc|🤘|ATX|DC4L (@76stacc) August 30, 2025

If that isn't enough, pictures were also taken of Manning during fall camp - wait for it.... wincing while he throws.

Here is a pic @InsideTexas took during camp for reference. He makes a face when he throws. That's it. https://t.co/2crsoIr4IS pic.twitter.com/bNadJOUGfF
— Matt Galatzan (@MattGalatzan) September 8, 2025

At the end of the day, the conclusion is simple. Manning does not have shoulder pain, nor does he have any sort of injury that is causing him pain when he throws the football.

The head coach of the Texas Longhorns has now confirmed that. That should be enough to shut down the rumor mongering.

Hopefully, we can all now move on.

At least, until the next over analyzed Manning narrative comes to the forefront.