Paul Finebaum calls out Steve Sarkisian for inappropriate response to Arch Manning injury question

It’s the wince seen ’round The Forty Acres, and sparked arguably one of the strangest press conference responses from a college head coach this season. The health status of Arch Manning has been thrown into question after Texas‘ superstar quarterback appeared in visible pain following a throw in Saturday’s 38-7 win over San Jose State.

But when a reporter asked Steve Sarkisian about his quarterback’s wince during a press conference Monday, the fifth-year Longhorns coach dismissed any suggestion Manning was in pain and then awkwardly deflected by comparing Manning’s facial contortion Saturday to what the assembled Texas media look like while “using the restroom.”

“He doesn’t have any (pain),” Sarkisian said Monday. “I don’t know. I’ve never filmed any of you guys when you’re using the restroom. So, I don’t know what faces you make when you’re doing that.”

Bathroom humor aside, that response prompted a public rebuke from Paul Finebaum on Tuesday morning’s episode of First Take. ESPN’s “Mouth of the South” blasted Sarkisian for his “totally inappropriate” and “disgusting” comments, and pointed out the Texas coach likely made Manning’s apparent throwing pain into a bigger story than necessary.

“I thought they were completely and totally inappropriate. And this is coming from someone who is a big fan of Steve Sarkisian. But what was the point of that?” Finebaum said Tuesday. “If Arch isn’t having any health problems, then simply say, ‘He’s fine, we checked him out and we’re happy.’ Why go after the media in something that’s just sorted and really, quite frankly, disgusting? He made a much bigger deal out of something that could’ve been answered with a simple, ‘No, he’s fine. He got banged up the first week, he’s a little bit better and he had a good game.’ Instead, Steve Sarkisian turned a one-minute story into a four-day escapade.”

Paul Finebaum: Arch Manning ‘doesn’t need to be coddled’ by Steve Sarkisian

Finebaum later doubled-down on Sarkisian’s restroom crack by suggesting his response to a simple question about Manning’s health had the potential to do more harm than good for his young quarterback. After entering 2025 as the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, among other accolades, Manning has already faced strong criticsm for failing to live up to the manufactured hype through the first two weeks of the regular season.

“I understand why he’s defensive, but don’t turn it back on the press. … And what (Manning) doesn’t need is his coach babying him in the media,” Finebaum continued. “That’s the worst thing that can happen when you already have the (last) name that a lot of people want to hate on, the privilege a lot of people want to scorn.

“Arch Manning has to go out there and do it himself, and he doesn’t need to be coddled by the one person who’s job it is to make him look good and protect him on the field, not off the field, and that’s Steve Sarkisian.”