The Cleveland Browns are being linked to embattled Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Tony Grossi is reporting that the Browns are doing their homework on the 22-year-old, assuming he enters the NFL supplemental draft this year. Sorsby, a projected 2027 first-round pick by Pro Football Focus, would certainly cause a stir if he were to enter the supplemental draft, but why would a quarterback with draft value and a reported $5 million NIL deal with Texas Tech for the 2026 season skip out on all that money and opt for the uncertainty of the supplemental draft?
In a word, scandal.
In more words, a massive betting scandal. Sorsby has been reported to have made around 10,000 online bets since he entered college. It started when he joined up with Indiana, continued to Cincinnati, and came to a head when he finally ended up at Texas Tech, where he's since entered rehab to deal with the issue. Now he's looking at possibly losing his final year of eligibility, and if that happens, there are many who believe he'd enter the NFL's supplemental draft process.
Which, ironically, involves teams gambling their next year's draft picks to land a supplemental player. The team has to offer up the highest draft pick they're willing to lose the following season for whatever player they're choosing. So if they wager a fourth-round pick, and no one else matches or exceeds it, the team wins the player's rights and loses their fourth-round pick the following year.
There's a bit more to it, like a weighted draft order, but that's basically the gist.
It's not the worst idea to pick up a guy in the supplemental draft. NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter was selected in the 1987 version. Former Pro Bowlers Mike Wahle and Jamal Williams were selected in the 1998 version, while Ahmad Brooks went in the 2006 iteration.
The Browns have found success in this area before, having selected Browns icon Bernie Kosar in the 1985 supplemental draft and former Pro Bowl wideout Josh Gordon in the 2012 version. For their picks, they had to forfeit their 1986 first-rounder for Kosar and their 2013 second-round pick in 2014 for Gordon.
So would the Cleveland Browns do it again?
More: NFL Draft grades 2026: All 32 draft classes ranked from best (Titans, Raiders) to worst (Rams, Vikings)
Who is Brendan Sorsby?
Sorsby is a 6'3, 235 lbs quarterback, who NFL Draft Buzz lists as having a 4.65 40-yard-dash, a time faster than a prime Deshaun Watson, and a time rumored to be faster than Shedeur Sanders. PFF has him as a top-eight pick, and at worst, he could be a second-rounder, with Tankathon having him listed at 37 overall.
His stats tend to agree with his positioning. Across the 35 games he played at Indiana and Cincinnati, he's thrown for 7,208 yards, 60 touchdowns, and just 18 interceptions. While he's not the most accurate passer, completing just 61.4% o his passes, what he lacks in accuracy he makes up for in his athleticism.
We already told you his speculated 40-time, but regardless of his measurables, his production on the ground is impactful. Over the same 35-game sample, he's rushed for 1,295 yards and a whopping 22 total touchdowns. He clearly has the ability to move around a pocket and make plays if need be. According to StatMuse, in his final season with the Bearcats, he was only sacked seven times.
He comes with baggage, sure, and there's no guarantee if the Browns are able to land him, if they're actually interested in him. Still, he has some interesting attributes, and if his rehabilitation for gambling goes well, there may be a path forward with him in Cleveland.
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