Brendan Sorsby’s immediate NFL route has been cut off after the league decided not to hold a supplemental draft in 2026. That leaves the quarterback without a pro entry point this year, even after his late push to get into the process.
The NFL said it believed a supplemental draft would create a distraction as teams begin training camps, and a league source told ESPN that Sorsby’s application carried “a lot of issues,” including “core of the game integrity issues.”
Why the league said no
Sorsby admitted to betting thousands of times on college and pro sports, with wagers totaling more than $90,000. Those bets included 40 on Indiana football while he was on the roster, a detail that sharpened the league’s concerns about integrity and accountability.
In a letter obtained by ESPN, the NFL told Sorsby that his petition was filed only three business days before the deadline and arrived without supporting information or documentation. The league also said he had abandoned recent litigation efforts to avoid NCAA sanctions before seeking entry into the supplemental draft.
The letter, signed by Larry Ferazani, the general counsel of the NFL Management Council, said Sorsby’s petition did not show accountability or explain how he would follow the league’s rules and policies governing competitive integrity.
The fight over his next step
Sorsby’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, said the NFL’s decision not to hold a supplemental draft “is a violation of the CBA and the law. We will pursue this immediately with the NFLPA.”
The league’s letter also said the sole reason Sorsby sought entry was that he had been declared ineligible. It added that public sources indicated the NCAA issued a determination in May 2026 declaring him permanently ineligible from college athletics because of a sustained pattern of improper gambling activity at three different universities.
Sorsby had earlier received a temporary injunction that would have cleared his path to play at Texas Tech this season. But after the Big 12 filed in federal court with plans to punish Sorsby and Texas Tech, he withdrew his suit and declared for the supplemental draft instead.
What happens now
The NFL has not held a supplemental draft since 2019, and Sorsby will not be part of one this year. He could potentially play in the CFL, but he remains ineligible under NCAA rules.
Ferazani wrote that “participation in the NFL is a privilege that carries with it significant responsibilities, including accountability,” and encouraged Sorsby to prepare for possible entry through the 2027 NFL Annual Draft.
Sorsby entered the offseason as the No. 1 player in the NCAA transfer portal, but his gambling admission and later trip to an in-house treatment facility became the biggest football story of the offseason. www.espn.com reported that the late filing also helped push the league toward avoiding what one source called a distraction caused by his own timing.