Sorsby won't sue NFL, will prepare for 2027 draft
SkimNews Take
Choosing a year-long wait over litigation illustrates how supplemental-draft disputes typically favor the league, since individual players can't afford to delay their careers while legal fights drag on.
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- NFLPA and Brendan Sorsby will not pursue litigation after the NFL declined to hold a supplemental draft this year, according to a memo sent to all 32 NFL teams.
- Sorsby will be classified as a "Draft-Eligible" player for the 2027 NFL Draft and cannot sign an NFL contract until the draft's completion.
- Sorsby withdrew his prior lawsuit and declared for the supplemental draft after the Big 12 filed in federal court aiming to punish him and Texas Tech over a temporary Texas-court injunction that had cleared him to play.
- The NFL will not discipline Sorsby for currently known prior misconduct but reserves the right to investigate beyond public filings and to weigh college misconduct in any future discipline, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
- Sorsby admitted to betting thousands of times on college and pro sports — totaling upward of $90,000 — including 40 wagers on Indiana football while he was a player there, and attended an in-house treatment facility.
- Sorsby was ESPN's No. 1 player in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason before his gambling admission and NCAA ineligibility ruling.
Why it matters: Sorsby loses the chance to enter the league a year early and cannot sign a contract until the 2027 draft concludes, effectively costing him a season of NFL earnings. The NFL's reservation of rights on future discipline and further investigation means his gambling history remains an open liability heading into the draft.
