NFL’s Brendan Sorsby Decision Feels More Punitive Than Protective

Make no mistake about it – in life, choices have consequences. Brendan Sorsby made a mistake and paid the consequences. But the NFL refusing a supplemental draft, and thus rejecting Sorsby from the league this season, feels like a step too far.

Sorsby admitted to betting on his own team as an 18-year-old freshman at Indiana. He wasn’t even traveling with the team, and only bet on the Hoosiers to win and the under, not capitalizing on any inside information to make these wagers. Now 23, Sorsby admitted to a gambling addiction and completed a rehab treatment.

But athletes participating in sports gambling is the cardinal sin in modern sports.

A Texas judge surprisingly gave Sorsby an injunction to continue playing in the NCAA. However, the public fallout from a potential return to Texas Tech caused the Red Raiders and their controversial quarterback to mutually part ways. Sorsby reportedly collected $5 million in NIL earnings from Texas Tech without ever taking a snap in Lubbock.

But after the NFL’s rejection, Sorsby doesn’t have a clear path to playing football in the fall. After he forwent the injunction, he can’t return to college football. According to his attorney, Sorsby’s team plans to take legal action against the NFL, claiming that refusing a supplemental draft is a violation of the CBA and the law.

Sorsby’s estrangement from college football was his punishment. He transferred from Cincinnati to Texas Tech to put together a great college football season and cement his status as a first-round pick. But that can’t happen now. Maybe he’ll play in the UFL or CFL. But in a loaded 2027 class, Sorsby will undoubtedly feel the long-term consequences of those bets from when he was 18.

The supplemental draft had been a safe haven for players that were dismissed from college football. Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor ditched college football after TattooGate and went to the NFL. Baylor’s Josh Gordon entered the supplemental draft following a positive marijuana test got him dismissed from his college team.

Further, under Roger Goodell’s watch, the NFL has continued to struggle with sexual misconduct and domestic abuse in the league. Players will serve a suspension of a few games, and they’ll be welcomed right back into the mix.

But bet on your team? Even when you aren't traveling with them? As a fourth or fifth string backup QB? You’re banned from the NFL for what should've been your rookie year.

Think about this.

The NFL has a few players currently in the league that were subject of federal investigations due to sports gambling activity. Those players were suspended and reinstated. That’s more serious than what Sorsby has admitted to.

Also, the NFL itself is a massive beneficiary of the sports gambling industry. The league makes hundreds of millions in revenue from sports gambling partnerships. They have to protect their partners, who might not like a character like Sorsby suiting up under center with this story swirling around.

But he paid the consequences. His life will forever be changed as a result of that.

There’s not a single team that would start Sorsby in Week 1 if he was able to be selected in the 2026 supplemental draft. He’s a developmental starter. Banning him from the league for one more season to make a stance feels shortsighted, and there’s a chance Sorsby’s representation could force the controversial quarterback into the NFL.