Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns narrowly hung on to a 16-13 victory in overtime against the Kentucky Wildcats last weekend. Following the victory, the Longhorns are currently ranked 5-2 on the season with a 13% chance of making the playoffs.
In his fifth season at Texas, Sarkisian has turned the Longhorns into one of the top winning programs in all of College Football. Currently, his quarterback, Arch Manning, is on the radar of multiple NFL teams. However, he may not be the only one at Texas with NFL interest.
What is Steve Sarkisian’s Buyout Amid NFL Rumors?
In a recent article, The Athletic’s senior NFL insider Dianna Russini discussed the current coaching carousel in the NFL. In this article, Russini revealed the situation surrounding both the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans, with Sarkisian’s name emerging.
Reps for Texas HC Steve Sarkisian have let NFL front offices know that he is open to making a move back to the league for a team like the Titans that are in need of a head coach, per @DMRussini. pic.twitter.com/tgTaf9JvsB
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 25, 2025
“I’m told that representatives for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian have let NFL decision-makers know that he would be interested in potential head-coaching openings, including the Titans’,” Russini revealed. The Titans’ interim head coach is currently Mike McCoy.
Sarkisian has previously served in the NFL. He served as quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2004 and later spent two seasons as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 2017–2018, but never as a head coach.
With the Titans currently being 1-6 this season, they will inherit one of the top draft picks for 2026. Potentially, Sarkisian could choose to take his quarterback with him to the NFL. The current starting quarterback for the Titans is former Miami Hurricane Cam Ward.
Arch Manning will be eligible to enter the 2026 NFL draft since he would have completed three years in college. However, after a poor start to this season, his draft stock has fallen significantly.
This season, Manning has a 60% completion rate. After being labeled as one of the frontrunners for the Heisman, he has underperformed significantly. Sitting at 68th overall on the season, the Longhorn’s quarterback has a QB impact rate of 77.8.
While there is no clause in Sarkisian’s contract that explains what would happen if he goes to the NFL. His current buyout at Texas is $55 million. However, there is a clause in his contract revealing whether the Longhorns would owe him that if he moved to the NFL.
If Sarkisian decides to leave Texas on his own accord, by resigning or taking another job, that buyout starts at $10 million in 2024, then drops every year except for 2029. Sarkisian signed a contract extension in 2024.
The new deal extended Sarkisian’s contract by one year through the 2031 season. It raises his salary from $10.4 million to $10.8 million this year.
Currently, with the NFL rumors circulating, the Longhorns’ head coach will undoubtedly be focusing on the current job. Following a 5-2 start to the season, Texas currently has its back against the wall. However, they still have a shot at making it to the playoffs.