NFL coordinator, executive share high praise for Brendan Sorsby amid supplemental draft chatter

Shortly after it was learned on Monday that Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby was checking into a residential treatment program to deal with a gambling addiction, individuals such as Billy Heyen of the Sporting News noted that Sorsby could potentially enter this year's supplemental draft for the NFL.

It's unclear if Sorsby plans to embrace such an idea. That said, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated spoke with an NFC coordinator and an AFC executive who suggested that Sorsby has some fans around the league this spring. 

Brendan Sorsby has teams dreaming of the next Patrick Mahomes, Caleb Williams? 

"From an arm talent standpoint, some of the stuff he does with his arm is similar, and I hate to say it, you hate to make this comparison, to [Patrick Mahomes] and [Caleb Williams]," the coordinator said about Sorsby. "But he has that twitch, the arm angles of [Matthew Stafford]. His arm is electric. It would’ve been by far the best in this class. Zach Wilson’s arm was that way, extremely talented, too. As a thrower, his arm would be top eight or so in the league." 

Assuming Sorsby is deemed ineligible to play for the 2026 college season, he could become an intriguing supplemental draft option for NFL teams in need of a long-term answer at the sport's most important position. To get him, it would cost a club the price of the traditional draft pick for 2027 equal to the value of the 2026 supplemental draft choice. 

"The guy’s pretty good," the executive added about Sorsby. "He would’ve had a good chance of being right there with [Fernando Mendoza]. If he came out in the supplemental, it would depend if you felt like you needed a quarterback. ... Just from the limited tape I saw, he looked better than [Ty Simpson]."

According to Breer, the supplemental draft "usually takes place in early July" but was canceled the past two summers after no players declared for it.

Why teams may not take a flier on Brendan Sorsby

Breer also mentioned that the gambling aspect of the Sorsby situation "is a thorny area for the league" and could result in the signal-caller having to serve some sort of suspension before he can play in a regular-season game. 

Per the NFL's website, then-Raiders rookie quarterback Terrelle Pryor had to serve a five-game ban at the start of his pro career in 2011. That punishment was related to Pryor's alleged involvement in a cash-for-memorabilia scandal, and it was upheld after he entered the supplemental draft instead of serving the suspension as an Ohio State player. 

"In my judgment, allowing players to secure their own ineligibility for college play in order to avoid previously determined disciplinary consequences for admitted conduct reflects poorly not on college football -- which acted to discipline the transgressor -- but on the NFL, by making it into a sanctuary where a player cannot only avoid the consequences of his conduct, but be paid for doing so," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the time about upholding Pryor's suspension.