A Cleveland radio host said Friday that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is still pursuing Nick Saban for a role with the franchise and that the ideal long-term picture includes pairing the former Alabama coach with Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
“I have to say this because I’ve heard a lot of rumors, but I heard Jimmy is not done going after Nick Saban. Now Nick wouldn’t coach but he would have some kind of role. And to combine him with Arch Manning,” Tony Rizzo said on 850 ESPN Cleveland.
The comments landed two days after Cleveland opened the season with a 34-10 loss at Jacksonville and just before the Browns visit Tampa Bay. First-year head coach Todd Monken has kept Deshaun Watson as the starter for Week 2 after Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his first start in 693 days.
The rumor does not cast Saban as a threat to Monken’s job. Rizzo framed the former coach as a possible executive or organizational presence rather than a sideline replacement.
Saban already has Cleveland history. He served as Bill Belichick’s defensive coordinator with the Browns from 1991 to 1994 before later becoming Miami’s head coach. He went 15-17 with the Dolphins in 2005 and 2006, then left for Alabama.
At Alabama he won six national championships over 17 seasons, adding those titles to the one he captured at LSU in 2003. He retired after the 2023 season, joined ESPN as a college football analyst and turns 75 on Oct. 31.
Saban has said he has no interest in returning to the college ranks, citing how name, image and likeness rules changed the job. Whether a limited NFL role would appeal to him is another question.
Haslam’s circle has long overlapped with Saban’s. Haslam is a prominent Tennessee booster, Saban’s agent is Jimmy Sexton, and Saban is a minority owner of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, a team controlled by Haslam’s brother, Bill.
Manning is the other half of the pairing Rizzo described. The 6-foot-4, 222-pound Texas quarterback is 2-0 this season after a 59-7 win over Texas State and a 24-23 victory against then-No. 1 Ohio State. Through two games he has completed 43 of 64 passes for 500 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
In 2025, Manning threw for 3,163 yards with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He remains a projected high pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, though evaluators have not uniformly ranked him first overall in a deep quarterback class.
Cleveland is positioned to chase him. The Browns hold two first-round selections in 2027 — their own and one acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the June trade that sent Myles Garrett to Los Angeles. A poor 2026 finish could put Cleveland inside the top five. The extra first-rounder gives general manager Andrew Berry trade-up ammunition if Manning slides only a few spots.
Landing both pieces would still require timing and consent. Manning must declare, stay healthy and remain a top-tier prospect. Saban would have to accept a non-coaching job in a league where he last worked two decades ago.
Haslam can offer money immediately. A draft choice cannot be bought the same way.
The Browns have spent years searching for a franchise quarterback. Watson’s expensive tenure, the Baker Mayfield trade that preceded it and last year’s rebuild have left the roster in transition. Monken is installing his offense while Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel compete for snaps.
A Saban presence would be more about culture, evaluation and recruiting power than play-calling. His name still carries weight with college players and their families, including the Mannings. That is the logic behind the rumor that has circulated in different forms since last summer.
None of it is official. Haslam has not announced a hire. Saban has not left ESPN. Manning is still lining up for Texas.
For one Friday in September, though, Cleveland’s future was again being sketched around a Hall of Fame coach and a quarterback with one of football’s most famous last names.
