In the latest twist of the saga, the former Cincinnati quarterback has officially put NFL front offices on notice. The Brendan Sorsby NFL Supplemental Draft application is now going ahead, ending his collegiate career following a massive betting scandal. What’s next in the process for Sorsby and interested NFL teams?
Brendan Sorsby NFL Supplemental Draft Decision
Brendan Sorsby’s Change of Direction
After Sorsby won an injunction to reverse the NCAA’s decision to make him ineligible, the NCAA immediately appealed the ruling. There has also been widespread condemnation of the ruling.
Hours before news of Sorsby’s decision came out, the Big XII conference filed a lawsuit to allow the conference to punish Sorsby. Given the uncertainty of a potential suspension beyond the first two games and a hard June 22 deadline by which to apply for the supplemental draft, Sorsby made his decision. The potential of not playing at all in 2026 was looming large and would have adversely affected his draft stock.
Per a statement released on X, Texas Tech Board of Regents Chair Cody Campbell explained Sorsby’s thought process. “Brendan and Texas Tech stand on very solid and legitimate legal ground, but he faces a June 22nd deadline to be eligible to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, and there is no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date”.
Statement regarding Brendan Sorsby.
Long Live the Matadors! pic.twitter.com/FxPd00uT9L— Cody Campbell (@CodyC64) June 16, 2026
Brendan Sorsby NFL Supplemental Draft Process
There is no fixed date in the NFL calendar for the supplemental draft. There hasn’t been one since 2023, when two players were available but weren’t selected.
In essence, the supplemental draft is a blind auction. It doesn’t follow the regular NFL draft order or process.
NFL teams are split into three buckets based on their previous season’s record:
- teams with six or fewer wins;
- the remaining non-playoff teams;
- the playoff teams.
Within each bucket, teams are then ordered randomly, not on their record.
Teams are then asked to submit a bid on a player. That bid will be the round in which they want to take the player. The team submitting the earliest round bid will be awarded the player and lose that pick in the 2027 NFL draft. If two teams in the same bucket submit an identical round bid, the player will be awarded to the team that is higher in the order within that bucket.
What’s Next for NFL Front Offices?
Had Sorsby played for Texas Tech in 2026, NFL front offices would have had until April 2027 to conduct background checks on the quarterback. With the supplemental draft to be conducted in early to mid-July, they will have three or four weeks to get to know Sorsby and investigate his background.
Between now and the supplemental draft, Sorsby will have a pro day and, if time allows, private workouts with teams. There will also be interviews to be conducted as teams decide whether they are comfortable with the person and the risk associated with drafting a recovering gambling addict.
Due to the serious nature of Sorsby’s gambling addiction and the fact that the NFL would punish him swiftly and severely should he lapse, NFL owners themselves will need to sign off on bidding for Sorsby.
The NFL team that selects Sorsby will need to put a support plan in place. Ideally, a strong locker room and mentor figure would benefit Sorsby. Pairing Sorsby with a veteran quarterback in the same way the Las Vegas Raiders signed Kirk Cousins to mentor Fernando Mendoza would make sense.
Sorsby’s gambling addiction is going to be the deciding factor on his stock more than his play on the field. It may drop his stock by one to two rounds, but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that he goes undrafted.
Brendan Sorsby’s Tape
Sorsby has good size at 6’3” 235 lbs, and he’s a good runner, needing to be accounted for in that area of the game.
Sorsby is at his best when he gets into a rhythm. He often uses fake zone-read runs, and with his quick release, he gets the ball to his receiver on short passes on time to allow yardage after the catch. He throws a catchable ball and can throw with different release points to find throwing windows.
He does need to speed up his processing. The Cincinnati offense didn’t ask him to be a processor in the same way NFL offenses will. He will need time to develop this area of his game.
Brendan Sorsby eyes this one too long – a little double clutch in there – and, again, more touched in with air. DB over to get the pick. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/8BeTLpCQTq
— Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) May 21, 2026
Sorsby doesn’t have an elite arm. He doesn’t show the ability to drive the ball on a rope down the field. NFL teams with a large vertical element to their passing game won’t grade Sorsby as highly as teams that use mostly short to intermediate routes and concepts.
Brendan Sorsby NFL Supplemental Draft Team Fits
Following a thin year at quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, there are still teams with a need at the position. However, Sorsby is not ready to be the answer at the position at this stage of his development. Therefore, his selection is more of an investment in the future than being a 2026 starter candidate.
The Philadelphia Eagles are the strongest fit, but they invested a fifth-round pick in Cole Payton (North Dakota State) in April, which will likely take them out of contention. It is worth noting that Sorsby is more advanced as a passer than Payton.
The San Francisco 49ers would be an interesting landing spot. Sorsby is not as quick of a processor as Brock Purdy was coming out of Iowa State, but they have similar skill sets. Sorsby would offer insurance should Purdy struggle with injuries or not take the next step in his development.
The New York Jets certainly need a quarterback, and Sorsby would be a solid fit in the offense with a veteran mentor in Geno Smith. Whether Sorsby the person is the right fit for the New York market is a factor that would need to be carefully considered.
There are other West Coast offense teams, but they have more of a deep passing element in their offenses. An example is the Green Bay Packers. They like to throw deep passes to take advantage of Jordan Love’s arm strength. Malik Willis was the backup last year, and he has a bigger arm than Sorsby.
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