No NFL Supplemental Draft This Year: Texas Tech QB Drama Blamed

The NFL has informed all of their teams that there will be no Supplemental Draft this year, cutting off the final escape route for Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby.

Sorsby has been at the center of controversy since late April, when he was checked into rehab for a sports gambling addiction. Following that revelation, his story has involved suspensions, being ruled ineligible, courtrooms, and even the NFL. But that's all changed after today.

Brendan Sorsby’s College Career Before Arriving at Texas Tech

The former Texas High School quarterback was a three star recruit coming out of Lake Dallas High School in Corinth, Texas. He was named the 2021 Denton Record-Chronicle High School Quarterback of the Year, and was getting college offers from all over the nation.

Sorsby had offers from Abilene Christian, Lamar, Navy, North Texas, Delaware, Fordham, and Army...among others. He was going to be able to play close to home, or take a spot hundreds of miles away. Eventually, there would be three schools that Sorsby would wear a jersey for...even though he never played an official game for Texas Tech.

Before coming to Texas Tech, Sorsby was at Indiana for two seasons, seeing action in 11 games, and Cincinnati. While at Cincinnati, Sorsby became the starting QB for the Bearcats. He started 24 games over two years, accounting for over 50 touchdowns and over 5,000 passing yards.

NCAA Suspension and the Ongoing Texas Legal Battle

Sorsby admitted to placing thousands of bets over the last four years, totaling over $90,000. While Sorsby has admitted to gambling while being a college football player, and even betting on his own teams, he never engaged in point shaving or actions to intentionally harm his team to win a bet.

After going to rehab, Sorsby was suspended by the NCAA and was ruled ineligible. He attempted to request his reinstatement, but the NCAA quickly rejected the request.

Then Texas Tech appealed to the NCAA on Sorsby's behalf, that process was cut off just three days later when a Texas judge ruled that Sorsby could not be labeled as ineligible by the NCAA for the infractions. Instead, he would face a 2 game suspension. The NCAA appealed that ruling to the Court of Appeals in the Seventh District of Texas.

Less than a week after the case went to the Appeal Court, Sorsby declared for the NFL Supplemental Draft. He filled out the paperwork for the NFL and started training.

How the NFL Supplemental Draft Process Works

The NFL Supplemental Draft isn't a new thing, its been around since the 1970s. Usually used by players who miss the deadline to declare for the regular NFL Draft, but it doesn't often involve a full list of draft eligible players. The Supplemental Draft isn't the traditional type of draft either...its more like a silent auction.

During an NFL Supplemental Draft, teams are broken into groups based on their wins the previous year. The teams that get the first chance at a player will be those with six or fewer wins in the previous season. After that, its non-playoff teams with more than 6 wins, and finally the playoff teams. Inside each of these groups, the teams will submit the name of they player they want to take in the Supplemental Draft, and the round they would be willing to take them in. More like a bid at a silent auction, and not a draft.

If a team says they will use a Second Round pick on a player in the Supplemental Draft, and no other team offers a higher pick, that team will get the player in exchange for that same level pick in the following year's draft.

So if the NFL was going to hold the Supplemental Draft for Sorsby this year, and the New Orleans Saints bid a Third Round pick on him to win his rights, they would lose their 2027 Third Round pick.

But we're not going to have to worry about that this year...because the NFL has informed all of their teams that they will not be holding the Supplemental Draft this year. Specifically because of Sorsby.