The NFL has effectively shut the door on the Supplemental Draft this year, and it all comes back to one quarterback and his betting history. Brendan Sorsby, the former Texas Tech and Indiana signal-caller, wanted in. The league said no. And now his camp is talking lawsuits.
Sorsby applied for the Supplemental Draft late last week. The NFL responded with a letter from Larry Ferazani, general counsel of the NFL Management Council, flatly stating there would be no draft — not just for Sorsby but for anyone. The reasoning was blunt: Sorsby’s gambling scandal, which involved betting on his own Indiana teams while he was still on the roster, made him radioactive from an integrity standpoint.
“The one thing, from a league standpoint, that you can’t have even a shadow of a doubt about is whether the games are being played fairly,” said Booger McFarland, the former NFL defensive tackle turned analyst. McFarland didn’t mince words about why the league walked away. “We all hear the rumors about, ‘Man, there goes the fix, it’s a fix in.’ You can’t have that question out there, and those are on social media. But as far as the NFL, they could not bring Brendan Sorsby in and have that hanging over their head right now.”
The Letter Says It All
Ferazani’s letter, obtained by multiple outlets, made clear that the NFL had no plans for a Supplemental Draft before Sorsby’s petition arrived. And his application didn’t change anything. The league pointed out that Sorsby filed barely three business days before the deadline, with no supporting documentation and only after dropping his legal fight against NCAA sanctions. The message was: you’re not going to jump the line just because you’re in trouble.
“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 letter states.
What’s Next for Sorsby
He won’t be eligible for the NFL until the 2027 regular draft. That’s a long wait for a quarterback who hasn’t played meaningful football since the gambling investigation surfaced. And it’s not like teams were lining up to take a chance on a guy with a betting scandal attached to his college tape.
But Sorsby’s representatives say they’re planning to sue the NFL over this decision, with the NFL Players’ Association reportedly backing them. Whether that lawsuit has any legs is another question. The league has broad discretion over who gets into the Supplemental Draft and under what circumstances. Legal challenges to that authority rarely go anywhere.
For now, Sorsby is stuck in limbo. He’s got a gambling history, no draft spot, and a potential legal fight that could drag on for years. Meanwhile the NFL moves on, having made its point loud and clear: if you bet on your own team, don’t expect a shortcut to the pros.
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