Brendan Sorsby’s NFL dreams have been put on hold now that there won't be a Supplemental Draft this year, but the league encouraged the star quarterback to enter the 2027 annual draft
15:09 ET, 23 Jun 2026
Brendan Sorsby can't enter this year's Supplemental Draft after the NFL announced it won't conduct one
View 2 Images
Brendan Sorsby can't enter this year's Supplemental Draft after the NFL announced it won't conduct one(Image: Getty Images)
Brendan Sorsby’s dreams of playing in the NFL have not been completely squandered after the league’s management council encouraged him to enter next year’s draft.
On Tuesday, the NFL sent shockwaves across the football landscape by announcing that it would not be holding a Supplemental Draft this year. According to ESPN, the league’s top brass believed that the alternate summer draft — held for college players who lost their NCAA eligibility after April's regular draft — would turn into an unwanted distraction for teams entering training camp.
The NFL’s decision is undoubtedly a tough pill to swallow for Sorsby, who applied for the Supplemental Draft in the wake of his gambling fiasco. The star signal-caller admitted to placing thousands of bets on college and pro sports, with his wagers amounting over $90,000.
Article continues below
Reports indicate Sorsby placed bets on Indiana football games while on the roster during his redshirt freshman campaign in 2022. The 40 wagers backed the Hoosiers to win games in which the quarterback did not take the field.
Despite initially being awarded a temporary injunction allowing him to play for Texas Tech this season, the Big 12 clapped back by filing in federal court, attempting to punish the quarterback and university.
Before the courts could provide a ruling, Sorsby withdrew the lawsuit and expressed his interest to enter the Supplemental Draft.
Yet the NFL argued that the 22-year-old did not provide enough evidence or demonstrate accountability by seeking entry into the league. “Your Petition does not address these matters,” a letter from the league read.
Brendan Sorsby throws a pass while escaping the pocket
View 2 Images
Brendan Sorsby expressed interest in entering the Supplemental Draft before being denied(Image: Getty Images)
“Nor does it demonstrate accountability for your conduct or indicate whether, or how, you would adhere to the League’s rules and policies governing the integrity of competition.”
That being said, the NFL left the door open for Sorsby to enter the 2027 draft. “As Commissioner Goodell has emphasized, participation in the NFL is a privilege that carries with it significant responsibilities, including accountability,” the message continued.
“By all accounts, you are a talented 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.”
Below, Mirror U.S. Sports has included the letter in full to Sorsby.
NFL Management Council’s letter to Brendan Sorsby
Dear Mr. Sorsby:
We are in receipt of your Petition for Special Eligibility, dated June 16, 2026 (“Petition”). As announced earlier today, the League has elected not to conduct a Supplemental Draft this year.
Under our Collective Bargaining Agreement, the League retains sole discretion to determine whether it is appropriate to conduct a Supplemental Draft in any given year. The League has not conducted such a draft for several years and, prior to your submission, the League had no plans to do so this year, as no other player has sought entry. Your Petition—filed three business days before the deadline, without any supporting information or documentation, and only after abandoning your recent litigation efforts to avoid NCAA sanctions—does not provide a basis for the League to alter those plans. The issues presented by your Petition are too significant, and too closely tied to the League’s core integrity interests, to permit meaningful review within the timeline presented.
The sole reasons identified in your Petition for seeking entry into the Supplemental Draft are that you have been “declared ineligible” by the NCAA, have “exhausted all of [your] avenues to continue in the NCAA,” and “want to now play in the NFL.” The Petition provides no information regarding the basis for, or timing of, the NCAA’s decision. Public sources, however, indicate that in May 2026 the NCAA issued a determination declaring you permanently ineligible from participation in college athletics, based on a sustained pattern of improper gambling activity during your collegiate career at three different universities.
The League does not have the complete record of the NCAA’s investigation, and you did not provide any such materials with your Petition. Available information nonetheless indicates that, over the course of your collegiate career, you knowingly engaged in repeated and significant violations of NCAA rules designed to preserve the integrity of athletic competition. Reported conduct includes placing wagers on your own team and teammates and, to avoid detection, establishing or funding accounts in the names of intermediaries who placed bets on your behalf. There are also reports that you may have violated state criminal law.
Your Petition does not address these matters. Nor does it demonstrate accountability for your conduct or indicate whether, or how, you would adhere to the League’s rules and policies governing the integrity of competition. Instead, even after receiving notice of the NCAA’s decision rescinding your college eligibility in May, you sought to avoid the consequences of that determination through litigation rather than accepting responsibility for your actions, and you pursued entry into the NFL only after abandoning those efforts.
Article continues below
As Commissioner Goodell has emphasized, participation in the NFL is a privilege that carries with it significant responsibilities, including accountability. By all accounts, you are a talented 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.
Sincerely,
Lawrence P. Ferazani, Jr.