After a controversial exit from his college football career, Brendan Sorsby hoped to enter the NFL directly through the Supplemental Draft. However, with the cancellation of this year’s Supplemental Draft, Sorsby’s prospects have become uncertain. With the 22-year-old QB’s future hanging in limbo, veteran NFL analyst Adam Schefter has dropped a brutal assessment of why the league’s stance was firm with Sorsby.

“The league was unwilling to investigate the situation,” said Schefter on his podcast. “The league didn’t trust him and the situation, and the league frankly doesn’t want any part of gambling. We’ve seen the league crack down on players who have placed bets, gambled in fantasy, whatever it may be; the league has no tolerance for people who’re involved in gambling. And it’s also a perception thing. They don’t want to be associated with somebody that’s been gambling.”

The NFL has always maintained a rigid stance against players betting on their own teams. Through this, they aim to guard against insider information and protect the competitive integrity of the game by preventing match-fixing. However, at times, several NFL players violated these gambling rules.

Take Josh Shaw as an example. The former Cardinals cornerback placed a bet against his own team in 2019. As a result, Shaw suffered an indefinite suspension initially. However, after serving a 21-game suspension, the league cleared him to return in March 2021. Despite the reinstatement, Shaw never played another down in the NFL.

The NFL Gambling Policy sets out a strict set of rules for betting on the NFL and prohibits players from making any sports bets while on team property. However, the punishment varies based on the criteria. For betting on your own team, there is a minimum two-year suspension. And Brendan Sorsby has been through something similar.

The 22-year-old QB placed over $90,000 in wagers, including bets directly on his own team, the Indiana Hoosiers.  To that end, Sorsby’s actions triggered an NCAA investigation. After the NCAA took away his eligibility, Sorsby hired attorney Jeffrey Kessler to secure a temporary Texas court injunction to force his way onto the field for Texas Tech.

However, the ruling sparked massive outrage. The Big 12 Conference threatened fierce legal action, including a potential scheduling ban against all Texas Tech sports teams if the university allowed him to play. Sorsby eventually dropped the lawsuit and attempted to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft. However, even that well-calculated move from the 22-year-old QB now lingers in a cloud of uncertainty.

Despite the NFL’s decision not to hold the Supplemental Draft, Sorsby’s legal team, represented by Jeffrey Kessler, has expressed their intention to challenge the NFL’s decision with the help of the NFLPA.

According to ESPN, Kessler felt the cancellation of the Supplemental Draft “is a violation of the CBA and the law.” And that his team “will pursue this immediately with the NFLPA.” However, NFL analyst Adam Schefter believes that will not help the QB.

“Brennan Sorsby is likely to just stay in Dallas, train for the future, and doesn’t have a football outlet. We did see what Jeffrey Kessler, the attorney for the NFLPA, told Pete Thamel of ESPN, he said, ‘It is a violation of the CBA and the law. We will pursue this immediately with the NFLPA.’ But Brendan Sorsby is not a part of the NFLPA, and they’re on the clock because teams are reporting to training camp in under a month, and there’s not going to be a supplemental draft. So to me, it seems like Brennan Sorsby’s out of luck,” Schefter added.

As things stand, Brendan Sorsby must now choose between sitting out the entire 2026 season to prepare for the 2027 Annual NFL Draft or signing with an alternative professional league like the Canadian Football League (CFL). Only time will tell what the future holds for the 22-year-old QB.