The NFL chose to steer clear of the Brendan Sorsby debacle by declining to hold the supplemental draft this year. It was the only way he could have secured a career in the league, now that he is ineligible at the college level. However, even though Sorsby is backed up against the wall here, he isn’t planning on going down without one last fight.

“I put a call in to Jeff Kessler’s associate, Bob Pannullo. Kessler and Pannullo represent Brendan Sorsby,” draft insider Robinson L. Wittmore shared on X. “Pannullo believes the NFL is in direct violation of the CBA and the law. Notes that Sorsby plans to fight this both with NFLPA and in court. Pannullo acknowledged the compressed schedule to get NFL to act prior to date supplemental draft would have been held. Interestingly, he appears to believe, if no supplemental draft, Sorsby could be eligible to sign as a free agent.”

The NFL sent Sorsby a letter informing him of the denial of the supplemental draft, with clear reasoning. It mentions that the quarterback applied for the draft only three days before the June 22 deadline, leaving little time for the league to review his gambling issue. Per rules, the latest by when the supplemental draft should be held is July 15 or 16. And, Sorsby was the only player to have applied for the event.

Additionally, he did not provide any documentation to support his case in his application, per the letter and ESPN.

The supplemental draft is a brainchild of the CBA. The NFLPA can, in essence, fight the NFL in case the draft is not held. But Sorsby’s case is tricky, as he cannot be a member of the NFLPA unless he signs with an NFL team. Whether or not the organization would band together for such a player is a big question mark.

Brendan Sorsby allegedly placed wagers totaling more than $90,000 during his collegiate career. More than 40 bets were placed on Indiana games while he was active on the roster. Betting on their own team is one of the most serious violations for a student-athlete in the NCAA’s rulebook, which acted by rendering Sorsby ineligible for this year.

The troubled QB had taken the fight to the court, hoping to play this year with his new team, the Texas Tech Red Raiders. It was his last year of eligibility anyway, and he had secured a great opportunity to bolster his draft odds by transferring to the school from Cincinnati. To everyone’s surprise, Sorsby was granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA, which allowed him to play. But the college football world was going to take action against the Red Raiders if they allowed Sorsby to play. He and Texas Tech mutually agreed to part ways, as a result.

The NFL has a strict policy on any gambling violations; Calvin Ridley was suspended indefinitely in 2022 for betting on NFL games. But the argument from Sorsby’s team is that the league is overreaching its standards, applying them to his college career instead of his future one in the NFL.

Had he been eligible for the supplemental draft, there could have been plenty of quarterback-needy teams considering Sorsby. In 35 games, he threw for 7,208 yards, 60 touchdowns against only 18 interceptions, while also rushing for 1,295 yards and adding 22 touchdowns. ESPN’s Field Yates viewed him as a potential first-round draft selection.

Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and the Cleveland Browns, who don’t have a confirmed starter in 2027 at this point, could have looked at Sorsby as a potential starter. Now he’s looking at a 2026 without football, unless he’s willing to take his services to the CFL or UFL.

If Sorsby is successful with this new plan, it could change the league. Players would want to enter the league as a free agent, as opposed to being selected by a team in a draft order that is not of their choice. We’ll have to wait and see what stance the NFLPA takes on this matter.