Paul Finebaum reacts to Steve Sarkisian to NFL rumors, believes they are true

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum reacted to the Steve Sarkisian NFL rumors and believed there was a semblance of truth in the report. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported Sarkisian’s agent Jimmy Sexton put out feelers, which included interest in the Tennessee Titans gig.

Sarkisian and his agent vehemently denied the report as Texas beat Mississippi State in overtime this weekend. But, Finebaum noted how this poses a lot of questions moving forward regarding the staff and even QB Arch Manning.

“You’re down and you get a 79 yard punt return … It was the second week of the road they win overtime on the road … Remarkable beyond words,” Finebaum began on The Matt Barrie Show. “But let me address the Sark story that came out from Dianna Russini. And what was so remarkable, Matt, is that Jimmy Sexton responded. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him respond to a report. And you can argue, did he add credence, or did he help quash the story? But the story was that Sark’s people were talking to NFL clubs, primarily the Titans and … a million questions. Does he really want to be there any longer? Is Arch Manning going to be there? All these questions that nobody knows the answer to right now. Right now Arch Manning is, I think, in concussion protocol, or could be. 

“They have Vanderbilt this weekend, and just as it looked like it was over for Texas, they actually have an opportunity now, assuming they can get past Vanderbilt. They still have to go to Georgia and they have Texas A&M, that’s pretty difficult, I think we can all agree. But also, they’re still the only team I think that could go 9-3 and still make the playoffs.”

Whether or not Sarkisian goes to the NFL is one thing. But Finebaum knows Sexton is creating a big time market for the coach considering his role at Texas and the lay of the college football land.

“I’ll spare the audience the many layers of what agents do, their job is to create a better market,” Finebaum said. “And I tended to believe the story only because why would Sark be trying to leverage his situation in a very bad year? He’s been to the semifinals two years in a row. This is not when you play the game of, ‘okay, I’m going to try to get a raise.’ 

“But sometimes these things are not meant to get out. Sometimes they are intentionally meant to get out … So Sark is now, at least technically, in play for the NFL. And does that help him? Yeah, I’m sure it probably does. If he just if this season goes bust, and he decides, and maybe Arch decides to do something else. I have no earthly idea what Arch Manning is going to do, but Sark might say, you know, I’ve had enough of this.”