The NFL made it very clear that its doors are closed to Brendan Sorsby for the 2026 season. The former Texas Tech quarterback can only hope to find a spot in a junior college football team to remain active this season, or give up on his dream to play in the league entirely. To make matters worse, even the CFL declared that it won’t grant refuge to Sorsby.

However, according to former NFL scout John Middlekauff, Roger Goodell’s decision might not have been his alone.

“In reality, Roger plays bad cop a lot,” he said on the 3 & Out podcast. “He works for the owners. If you don’t think the owners were telling him, like, we don’t want to do this. This is not something we want forced upon us.”

“Roger’s going to be the bad guy, and everyone’s going to make fun of him for the integrity. Where do you think his salary comes from? The owners. They run the show.” … It can go the other way. Because if this guy can never stop shooting parlays off, all of a sudden, you look like an idiot.”

Had the supplemental draft been held this year, there was no doubt Sorsby was going to be picked early. And within a few years, he might have even become a starter on a team. It was rumored that the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals were interested in Sorsby, as the quarterback position in both teams can go in any direction in the future. An NFL GM also told insider Jason La Canfora that the Philadelphia Eagles might have picked him in the second round of the supplemental draft.

And now, the same prospect is probably not going to play any football this year. The league has passed on a talented passer, who already has 7,208 yards, 60 touchdowns, and an average completion rate of 61.2%. Pitted against someone like Carson Beck for the starting job in the NFL, Sorsby can give him a run for his money.

However, his very presence in the NFL would also mean a big PR crisis for the league. Perhaps that is why Roger Goodell was forced to act.

Brendan Sorsby was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after he was found to have wagered more than $90,000 on approximately 9,000 bets, 40 of which were placed on Indiana Hoosiers sports while he was still on their roster. The QB was surprisingly granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA by a Texas court, which technically reinstated him, but backlash from the college football world forced him to tap out. After hurriedly ending his terms with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, he applied for the supplemental draft only three business days before the June 22 deadline.

But the fight for 2026 is still ongoing. Sorsby’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, told ESPN that skipping the supplemental draft “is a violation of the CBA and the law,” and his camp plans to take it up with the NFLPA.

However, there is hope for the troubled QB. The NFL’s official letter encouraged Sorsby to look forward to 2027.

“As Commissioner Goodell has emphasized, participation in the NFL is a privilege that carries with it significant responsibilities, including accountability,” it read. “By all accounts, you are a talented football player with the potential for future success. We encourage you to focus on preparing for possible entry into the NFL through the 2027 NFL Annual Draft.”

For now, Brendan Sorsby has no option but to wait and hope for some light at the end of this tunnel.