Brendan Sorsby Set for 2027 NFL Draft After League Declines to Hold 2026 Supplemental Draft

Brendan Sorsby's path to the NFL will have to wait until the traditional draft in the spring of 2027 because the league will not hold a supplemental draft this year.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL informed Sorsby and all 32 teams of its decision about the supplemental draft.

Jeffrey Kessler, a lawyer for Sorsby, told Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger that the NFL's decision "is a violation of the collective bargaining agreement and we intend to pursue the player's rights with the NFLPA."

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport provided the letter that was sent out by NFL general counsel Lawrence P. Ferazani, Jr. to Sorsby on Tuesday:

"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.  

"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."

Jeffrey Kessler, Sorsby's attorney, issued a response on Tuesday, via NFL Network's Tom Pelissero:

"In late April, we inquired with the NFL about the process for gaining entry into the Supplemental Draft. The response from the League was that all that was required was a short application, which needed to be submitted prior to June 22. At no point did the NFL indicate that it would need or want to review anything other than the application itself or that submitting the application at or close to the deadline would have any impact on the NFL's consideration.

"Last week, we requested the NFL's supplemental draft application. The application asked for basic biographical information, responses to four yes-or-no questions and included a small space for Mr. Sorsby to state 'why are you applying for the 2026 Supplemental Draft?' It did not provide an opportunity or ask that Mr. Sorsby submit any additional documentation or information. Mr. Sorsby fully completed the application and submitted it to the NFL within hours of receiving it.

"Mr. Sorsby's agent followed up with the NFL to ask if any additional information was needed or if the NFL had any questions. The NFL declined that invitation.

"The NFL gave its letter purporting to deny Mr. Sorsby entry to the Supplemental Draft to the media before sending it to Mr. Sorsby.  He learned that the NFL was not planning to hold a Supplemental Draft when the media reported it."

It was announced on June 15 that Sorsby planned to enter the supplemental draft amid controversy about his eligibility after he previously admitted to placing thousands of bets totaling more than $90,000 while in college.

A judge had granted him a temporary injunction against the NCAA that cleared a path for him to play at Texas Tech during the upcoming season.

Amid pushback from the NCAA and other Big 12 programs, Sorsby opted to declare for the supplemental draft in an attempt to start his professional career this season.

The NFL has not held a supplemental draft since 2023. Safety Jalen Thompson is the last player selected in the supplemental draft when he was taken in the fifth round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019.

Per The Athletic's Jayna Bardahl and Dane Brugler, a player who declares for the supplemental draft must go through an approval process before the NFL determines if it will hold one.

There was some thought that a team could use a second-round pick in the supplemental draft on Sorsby. The last player to be taken that high in a supplemental draft was Josh Gordon in 2012.

If a team takes a player in the supplemental draft, they forfeit the equivalent pick in the regular draft the following year.

Sorsby announced in January he was transferring to Texas Tech after he spent the past two years at Cincinnati. The 22-year-old threw for 2,800 yards, ran for 580 yards and accounted for 36 touchdowns in 12 games last season.