Top NFL Landing Spots for Brendan Sorsby After Declaring for Supplemental Draft

The latest twist in the ongoing Brendan Sorsby saga has seen the quarterback declare his intent to enter the 2026 NFL supplemental draft. It now remains to be seen where the Texas Tech product will land.

While it initially appeared that he would play out the upcoming college football season with the Red Raiders following a temporary injunction that lifted his ban for gambling, strong backlash from the NCAA, Big 12 conference and other parties has led him to call an end to his collegiate career.

Considering how light the 2026 draft class was on quarterbacks (only two were taken on Day 1), there are plenty of teams that could conceivably roll the dice on Sorsby.

Supplemental drafts are relatively rare (the most recent was in 2023), selections are even more infrequent (Jalen Thompson was the last supplemental draftee in 2019) and it's been decades since a quarterback went in Round 1 of the supplemental draft (Dave Brown in 1992), but you'd only have to go back to 2011—when the Las Vegas Raiders picked Terrelle Pryor in the third round—to find the last time a signal-caller was taken in one of them.

There's a good chance that Sorsby could become the next quarterback to enter the league in this unconventional manner. With that in mind, here's a look at five QB-hungry squads that could submit a supplemental draft bid for Sorsby later this summer.

Arizona Cardinals

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The Arizona Cardinals are hosting a wide-open quarterback competition this summer, one that Brendan Sorsby could ultimately win if the team decides to take him in the upcoming supplemental draft.

Following a regime change and Kyler Murray's release, the stage has been set for the polarizing Texas Tech prospect to come in and beat out incumbent Jacoby Brissett, journeyman Gardner Minshew II and third-round rookie Carson Beck for the QB1 job.

While Brissett currently profiles as the Week 1 starter, the 33-year-old has been embroiled in a contractual dispute with ownership for much of the offseason. Although he did report to mandatory minicamp, the veteran has been holding in with hopes of getting a re-worked deal.

Minshew is coming off a torn ACL and hasn't been relevant since he led the Colts to a 7-6 record across 13 starts in 2023. Beck has some potential as a Day 2 rookie, but the 24-year-old has far less appeal as an NFL prospect in comparison to Sorsby.

An anonymous AFC executive believed that Sorsby would have been in the discussion for the No. 1 overall pick had he been available in the 2026 NFL draft.

The same exec went on to tell SI.com's Albert Breer that it would be sensible for the Cardinals to take him in the second round of the supplemental draft, claiming that Sorsby "looked better than Ty [Simpson]"—the No. 16 overall pick this year—on tape.

The Cards could opt to wait for the 2027 draft to land a franchise passer, but there's no guarantee the team will be picking early enough to land the type of game-changing prospects it needs to turn the club around.

It may be a stretch to use a second-round pick—one of just seven that the Cardinals currently have at their disposal—on a quarterback with major off-field concerns, but Arizona won't get a better opportunity to secure an elite signal-caller.

Cleveland Browns

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The Cleveland Browns could add another unexpected wrinkle to their ever-shifting quarterback situation by scooping Brendan Sorsby in the NFL supplemental draft.

While there seemed to be some semblance of stability in Cleveland after last year's circus of a quarterback competition in training camp, the two-man battle between Pro Bowlers Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders for the QB1 job could get shaken up by Sorsby's presence.

According to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, Browns head coach Todd Monken didn't appear thrilled at the idea of adding another body to the quarterback's room—especially one that comes with controversy attached—but did admit the decision would belong to general manager Andrew Berry.

Berry was more practical on the matter, telling reporters that the front office will go through the same process for Sorsby as it would any other potential draft pick, stating: "We'll do the work on all the prospects, and then we'll make the appropriate decision for the organization."

Cleveland does have a wealth of capital at its disposal following its blockbuster Myles Garrett trade earlier this summer. The team is currently sitting on 11 picks in the 2027 draft, with several of those making sense to potentially use on Sorsby

Although the Browns may not want to turn their training camp into another sideshow, Sorsby's talent and upside could be too alluring to an organization that has become downright desperate for a true franchise passer to emerge.

Miami Dolphins

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After parting ways with Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, the Miami Dolphins have far more questions than answers at the quarterback position.

With key free-agent pickup Malik Willis still unproven and the rest of Miami's quarterbacks room consisting of seventh-round sophomore Quinn Ewers, a cast-off from the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad in Cam Miller and undrafted rookie Mark Gronowski, it would make plenty of sense for the Dolphins to add a legitimate insurance option in Brendan Sorsby.

Although the 'Phins did invest $67.5 million over the next three seasons into Willis, the structure of the contract allows Miami to get out from under the deal relatively easily if the veteran fails to build on the flashes he displayed during his time with the Green Bay Packers. Ewers showed a bit of potential during a three-game stretch of starts to close out 2025, but Sorsby has the former Texas star beat in terms of both upside and floor.

Over the past three seasons—two of which he spent at Cincinnati and one at Indiana—Sorsby racked up 7,208 passing yards and 60 touchdowns against a meager 18 interceptions. He's displayed dual threat abilities as well, rushing for 1,295 yards and 22 touchdowns in the same span.

Considering Miami is sitting on nine picks in the 2027 draft, the organization could get some immense bang for its buck by using one to nab Sorsby in the supplemental draft. By making this pick, the 'Phins won't have to slog through a lost season and can move on to their next starter should Willis and Ewers both regress.

New York Jets

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The New York Jets weren't able to land a blue chip quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL draft, but now have another chance to take a shot on one.

While third-rounder Cade Klubnik is a decent developmental prospect who could benefit from working behind Geno Smith for a year, the Jets can increase their chances of a viable young starter emerging in the next couple seasons by taking a chance on Brendan Sorsby.

Sorsby has drawn comparisons to the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Caleb Williams and Matthew Stafford for his passing skills, with an NFC coordinator telling SI.com's Albert Breer that Sorsby's arm would have ranked No. 1 in the 2026 draft class and would immediately rate in the top quarter of the NFL.

Although there's far more that goes into success from the quarterback position than just arm strength, having that box checked is one big piece of the puzzle. Sorsby put together a strong 2025 campaign at Cincinnati that saw him rack up 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns through the air, although he completed a meager 61.6 percent of his throws and the Bearcats only went 7-5 in his 12 starts—losing four straight to end the year on a sour note.

Once you factor in the off-field red flags surrounding Sorsby, it's tough to justify investing too heavily into the promising but polarizing quarterback. Regardless, the Jets could be getting a 22-year-old prospect for what should be a relatively low cost if he falls to the portion of the supplemental draft that coincides with Day 2 or 3 picks being exchanged.

If Gang Green is willing to part with one of their nine picks in the 2027 draft, they could end up with a potentially incredible return on investment.

Pittsburgh Steelers

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The Pittsburgh Steelers solidified their quarterback situation for the 2026 NFL season by re-upping Aaron Rodgers for another year, but it's likely to be the longtime star's last in the league. With Rodgers still lacking a clear-cut heir, the Steelers have a unique chance to bolster their succession plan by tapping Brendan Sorsby in the supplemental draft.

Sorsby would become the latest young prospect to learn behind Rodgers in Pittsburgh's quarterbacks room. While Will Howard and Drew Allar both have promise, neither has as much upside as the Texas Tech product.

According to PFSN's Tony Pauline, Sorsby graded higher than prized 2027 prospect Arch Manning (a player widely expected to come off the board within the top five next year) and has the potential to go as early as the first round in the upcoming supplemental draft.

The Steelers would have to clear room for Sorsby by moving on from Mason Rudolph, the veteran backup who has spent the better part of the decade on Pittsburgh's bench. Rudolph is a competent QB2 but offers no upside at this stage of his career. He could return draft capital the Steelers will need if they decide to add a potential game-changer in Sorsby via the supplemental draft.

Pittsburgh isn't loaded with 2027 draft picks—the organization currently holds just seven selections—but it may not get another chance to secure a quarterback prospect of Sorsby's caliber. The team is coming off an AFC North title and is expected to remain competitive with Rodgers at the helm in 2026, making this a rare opportunity to land a proper heir to the future of Hall of Famer.