Archie Manning Clarifies Arch-to-Cowboys Comment, I Was Being Nice!

Archie Manning is backtracking on his hopes of seeing Arch suit up for America's Team ... claiming his comment about his grandson partnering with the Dallas Cowboys wasn't supposed to be taken seriously.

Manning -- who played in the NFL in the '70s and '80s -- recently made headlines after a TikTok user asked him on camera where he would like to see the current Texas Longhorns QB land in the pros.

Peyton and Eli's dad replied, "I hope he'll play three years in Texas. I hope he plays three more years."

"It’s funny, nobody's ever asked me that. Right off the bat, if somebody asked me, I'd say Cowboys."

When asked to elaborate on his stance in a follow-up interview ... Archie admitted he didn't know his words would spread like wildfire -- as he was just trying to play along with the interviewer.

"That is something that kinda got outta hand," Manning said.

"I have a sports bar in New Orleans and I was just being nice to a patron. I told him I hope Arch will play three years of college football and he said, 'And then maybe to the Cowboys?'"

Manning added, "I didn't know he was going to put that on TikTok."

Arch was a five-star recruit from Isidore Newman School in NOLA and received offers from top college programs like Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Florida State, USC and Notre Dame.

He committed to Texas in 2022 and has since recorded 13 touchdowns (nine passing, four rushing) this season.