Pro Football Rumors
The Brendan Sorsby saga has been filled with unpredictable twists and turns, and Tuesday was no different. The NFL announced that it would not be holding a supplemental draft in July, eliminating the 22-year-old’s last path to playing high-level football this year.
The decision is, at its core, an attempt from the league to protect its member teams and the integrity of the game. Sorsby has admitted to an extensive gambling history while at Cincinnati and Indiana, including bets on Hoosiers football games while he was on the team. In a letter denying his petition to enter the supplemental draft (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), the NFL’s management council cited both the lack of information provided regarding his infractions and the lack of time to “permit meaningful review” of the situation.
The depth and breadth of Sorsby’s gambling are a key contributor to this move. It would be impossible for teams to get a full idea of any punishment Sorsby could face as a result of his betting. The NFL indicated it would not be able to conduct a full investigation in time for the draft, which would force teams to risk a draft pick for a player who could be hit with a hefty suspension soon after. The letter also mentions reports of potential criminal violations, a factor that is even farther out of the league’s control.
Sorsby’s team, of course, would argue otherwise. His agent, Ron Slavin, told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that “the NCAA specifically found there were not integrity-of-the-game concerns.”
“Brendan never bet on a game in which he played,” Slavin added. “In fact, the only wagers involving his team occurred in 2022, when he was redshirting and had not yet appeared in a game. Those bets were simply on his team and teammates to succeed. Once Brendan began suiting up and participating in games, there were zero bets placed on his own team. The remainder of the wagers over the next three years involved other sports and were unrelated to college football.”
But the NFL will want to draw their own conclusions, and do to so, they are effectively punting on Sorsby’s future until they have had enough time to assess the best path forward. That will likely include consulting with those who knew and played with Sorsby at Cincinnati, Indiana, and Texas Tech, Breer adds. The letter makes note of his “possible entry” into the standard 2027 draft, suggesting that turning pro next year is no guarantee, either.
As expected, Sorsby’s legal team, led by Jeffrey Kessler, plans to fight the NFL’s decision, arguing that it is a violation of the league’s collective bargaining agreement. There are two issues with that allegation. The first is that Sorsby is not a member of the NFL Players Association and is therefore not protected by the CBA. The second is that the CBA gives the league the discretion to conduct a supplemental draft, should they deem it appropriate. The NFL referenced that power in their letter to...
