Former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is running out of options in 2026. After he and the Red Raiders mutually parted ways following his gambling admission, he subsequently dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA, with the hope of entering the NFL’s supplemental draft. However, that will not be the case.
The NFL ultimately decided not to hold a supplemental draft in 2026. It would have been the league’s first since 2023. Sorsby was hoping to be the first player selected since 2019.
The league sent a letter to Sorsby explaining that his petition to enter the supplemental draft was “without any supporting information or documentation, and only after abandoning your recent litigation efforts to avoid NCAA sanctions — does not provide a basis for the League to alter those plans.”
So, now the question becomes what kind of action will Sorsby take from here. Will he choose to sit at home until next April, hoping to enter the 2027 draft, or will he choose to file another lawsuit, this time against the NFL?
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes he may have a case.
Albert Breer Explains Brendan Sorsby’s Potential Case Against NFL
Breer, a longtime NFL insider, was actually surprised the NFL didn’t elect to go through with a supplemental draft.
“I just thought, from the start, the league was on shaky ground legally, and wouldn’t want to go through the potential court case that could accompany shutting him out,” Breer wrote.
Breer explained that since Sorsby is not a part of the NFL’s union, he would have grounds for a case.
“I’m not a lawyer, but I think he has a solid case. The NFL is a trade association,” Breer added. “Sorsby is not a member of its union. I’m not sure, legally, if a trade association can deny employment this way—especially given the rules of the supplemental draft, which has for decades been where players who lose their eligibility go, be theirs a drug case (Josh Gordon), an NCAA rules case (Terrelle Pryor) or an academic case (Ahmad Brooks and many others). I’d think they’d have to leave his employability up to their companies (the teams).”
Sorsby also has to take into account that he would be suing a league that he wants to become a part of in the future. So, would it really be worth it? How wise would that be toward the future of his career?
The 22-year-old has to closely weigh his options, at least any that are remaining at this juncture.
CFL Closes Another Door on Brendan Sorsby’s Future
On Friday, June 26, another door was slammed shut for Sorsby when the Canadian Football League (CFL) announced it would not allow Sorsby to play in the league, according to USA Today’s Paul Myerberg.
“At this time, the CFL will not register a contract for him, and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list,” the league said.
At this point, the only reasonable option available could be the United Football League (UFL), which plays during the spring.
And who knows, that might be the only professional football Sorsby plays in his entire career the way some NFL executives are talking.
“Think about it this way,” one longtime NFL personnel executive told Sports Booms’ Jason La Canfora. “They kicked him out for 2027. A lot can happen between now and the draft. What else do we find out about him? Does he start making bets again?
“Then, say he is eligible for the 2027 draft, he hasn’t played all year, there’s no film on him, and whoever drafts him will know that he is still going to face discipline. He’s going to be suspended for 10 games or 12 games. Whatever. There goes his 2028 season.”
“They don’t want him in the league. All we have is trust, and once that trust erodes, everything is called into question. A quarterback making all those bets, that’s a big problem. That’s the last thing Park Avenue (league office) wants.”
Time will tell, but it goes without saying that Sorsby is going to have to make a lot of amends if he ever hopes to suit up in the NFL, or maybe any other professional football league for that matter.
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