Amid uncertainty surrounding his eligibility for the 2026 season with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Brendan Sorsby has reportedly declared for the NFL supplemental draft. He had a deadline until June 22 to put his name in the supplemental draft, and now the league will have to review his entry to confirm his entry.  There are still questions about whether Commissioner Roger Goodell would hand Sorsby a suspension over his underage and illegal gambling history.

However, the case of New England Patriots player Kayshon Boutte might prove to be a relief for Sorsby, who was also involved in gambling during his time in college. He was drafted in the sixth-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but it was not until his second year in the league that his case came to light.

Earlier this year, the wide receiver wrote an article for the Players’ Tribune, where he revealed his gambling addiction during his time at LSU.

“I’d wake up early in the morning, and the first thing I’d do was bet,” Boutte wrote. “I’d stay up late and bet. All day. All night. I had insomnia, so if I woke up in the middle of the night, phone next to the bed, I’d bet. Any little money I had, it was going straight to FanDuel. . . . I knew I was addicted.”

While he was charged with underage betting in Louisiana, the charges were eventually dismissed. At the same time, the NFL never suspended or punished him. This could prove to be a precedent for Sorsby as well, who also went to a rehab to help his addiction.

Boutte was in his sophomore year and was looking to have an efficient season. However, the receiver went down with a gruesome ankle injury, which forced him to undergo multiple surgeries. Frustrated with being away from football, Boutte became a gambling addict and reportedly placed over 8,900 bets, including at least six bets on LSU.

In Sorsby’s case, the gambling issue surfaced even before he started his NFL career. Logically, if the league chose not to discipline Boutte for conduct that occurred before he entered professional football, then the timing of when the information became public shouldn’t matter. In other words, Sorsby should theoretically be treated the same way Boutte was.

But at the same time, it’s worth noting that Sorsby’s case is receiving much more attention, and his temporary injunction to play for Texas Tech led multiple Big 12 schools to boycott the Red Raiders in the 2026 season. And while Boutte’s past case surely suggests that Sorsby could be treated similarly, the heightened scrutiny could force the NFL to take action against the 22-year-old quarterback.

Back in 2011, former NFL wide receiver Terrelle Pryor was involved in the “Tattoo-Gate” scandal at Ohio State, when he and his teammates were found to have traded team memorabilia. The NCAA ruled that Pryor would serve a five-game suspension had he returned to Ohio State for the 2011 season.

Instead, the Oakland Raiders drafted him in the 2011 supplementary draft. However, Pryor still served a five-game suspension during his rookie season. On paper, Roger Goodell could impose a similar suspension on Brendan Sorsby as well. When a temporary injunction judgment was made, the court announced a two-game suspension for Sorsby, Goddell could theoritically do the same for Sorsby as well.

What the NFL would decide is currently up in the air, and so is Sorsby’s future after declaring for the supplemental draft. What is clear, though, is that the quarterback has been receiving immense criticism over his controversial collegiate career.

Shannone Sharpe takes a dig at Brendan Sorsby

“In order for someone to learn a lesson, they had to have suffered some level of consequence. He (Sorsby) suffered nothing. He gets to play. Even after admitting that he bet almost $90,000,” Shannon Sharpe had said a few days back when Judge Ken Curry granted Brendan Sorsby a temporary injunction, which would have allowed him to play for Texas Tech in 2026.

Fast forward to now, and Sorsby is no longer considering suiting up for the Red Raiders after declaring for the supplemental NFL draft. That led Sharpe to double down against Sorsby, as the NFL legend criticized the 22-year-old for repeating the same mistake over and over again.

“Nobody’s perfect. Nobody’s perfect. And I’m not asking this young man to be perfect because we’ve all been in situations through the course. I’m almost 58. I’m a little over a week away from being 58. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. It’s hard to say I’ve made 9,000 of them, though,” Sharpe said.

The quarterback first gained attention when court reports showed that Sorsby had placed over 9,000 bets worth over $90,000. That also included 40 bets on Indiana when he was a freshman for the Hoosiers. That led the NCAA to revoke his eligibility to play in the 2026 season, leading him to appeal the NCAA’s decision.

However, once Sorsby lost the appeal, he went to the court. It was there that he was granted a temporary injunction, which sparked criticism from the Big 12, as the conference eventually filed a lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief. But now, Sorsby is looking forward to the supplemental draft. Whether any NFL team would show any interest in the quarterback remains to be seen.