Brendan Sorsby is a rare chance to get a top QB cheap, and these teams should go in

We are on the verge of seeing one of the most fascinating summer transactions in NFL history. Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is standing down from a drawn-out legal battle with the NCAA, announcing on Monday that he is opting to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, rather than continue his attempt to win eligibility. It marks the first time in over 30 years that a legitimate top quarterback can be secured in the secondary draft, making it truly a once-in-a-generation opportunity to land a potentially elite talent on the cheap.

Sorsby was suspended by the NCAA in May of 2026 after entering a rehabilitation facility to treat gambling addiction. He admitted that he had lost over $90,000 placing bets on his own team, using the accounts of family and friends in an attempt to evade detection. The proliferation of sports betting, paired with college players having an influx of disposable income via NIL deals, means that Sorsby isn’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last player to have gambling problems.

That leads us to the moment right now. Sorsby is a 1st round quarterback talent who would have gone anywhere from the Top 5 to late-first round in 2027 — even in the middle of one of the most QB-rich classes in history. The raw talent is undeniable. Not only that, but Sorsby showed tremendous growth at Cincinnati, where he threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions in 2025. Those numbers would have only grown, considering he transferred to an explosive Texas Tech offense before his suspension.

There are only two questions left when it comes to Brendan Sorsby: “Who is going to bite?” and “What will the cost be?” There have been ample reports of teams willing to pony up a 3rd round pick in the supplemental for him, which either means they intend to bid a 2nd round pick — or stay out of the game altogether. As for where he should end up, that one isn’t quite as simple as picking teams out of a hat without a quarterback. There is a tanking class in the NFL right now which contains the Cardinals, Jets, and Dolphins, and I argue that none of these teams should throw their hats in the Sorsby ring.

Sure, it might be tempting to imagine landing Sorsby now, then getting an elite complementary piece like WR Jeremiyah Smith next April, but at the end of the day you’re still actively choosing to take a worse quarterback than you would at the top of the 1st round next year. While Sorsby is a really solid prospect, he’s still not on the level of Arch Manning, Dante Moore, or Julian Sayin.

Instead, the focus should be on teams in need of quarterback help who aren’t already in that tanking tier. The teams who normally would have no shot of landing a talent like Sorsby without trading up can now potentially get him in exchange for a Day 2 pick. For these teams it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and worth diving into.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are taking their QB position year-by-year at this point, signing Daniel Jones to a two-year extension that shows they aren’t quite sold on making him their long-term starter. This doubt makes a lot of sense and opens an opportunity for Sorsby to enter the fold.

Finding a starting QB through circumstance is such a profoundly Colts move. This is the organization that landed Peyton Manning, and got to dovetail that into Andrew Luck. Getting Sorsby on the cheap would be extremely on-brand for them, and it makes a ton of sense to get out ahead of the draft not only to get a player of his caliber, but potentially mitigate their worries with Jones. Sorsby wouldn’t cost them anything against the cap like Jones would, making this a really great landing spot.

If they can then flip Anthony Richardson, even for a mid-round pick, then they’re playing with house money.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers will be a decent team this year. I don’t know if they’re a playoff team, but they’re going to be decent enough in Aaron Rodgers’ twilight to be picking in the late teens at the earliest. For each of the past two years we’ve been expecting the team to take a quarterback, and no Drew Allar doesn’t count.

Brendan Sorsby is so much better than anyone the Steelers could hope to get, especially if he only costs a 2nd or 3rd round pick. At this point nobody knows if Rodgers is going to play one more season, two more seasons — 20 more seasons until he crumbles into dust at the 50-yard-line. Regardless of his intentions, the Steelers need to bring in more quality bodies at the QB position so they’re not constantly in a state of being held ransom by the whims of Aaron Rodgers.

Giving Sorsby a year to sit and learn, then giving him an offense with D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. is a very, very good scenario for him.

Cleveland Browns

Who knows what the Browns will be this year? I keep vacillating between thinking they might be the worst team in football and thinking they could notch five or six wins. That makes them really tricky to project in the Sorsby sweepstakes, but I also think it makes infinitely more sense for them than winning some game and needing to package 1st round picks to move up and get into that top tier of 2027 quarterbacks.

Sorsby is definitely better than Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel (especially Dillon Gabriel). The biggest risk here is adding to their island of misfit toys without a clear direction, but if Cleveland thinks Sorsby has the talent then Todd Monken is someone who can get it out of him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Let’s go ahead and throw a big-old curveball. Sure, the Bucs have Baker Mayfield, and there’s seemingly no reason to change up that plan, but Baker is looking to get a massive payday, and Tampa seems really hesitant to give him that deal with their regime in flux.

The Bucs need to decide whether they think they can actually win with Mayfield under center, or if they need to rebuild. If the decision is the latter, then it’s worth them throwing their hat in the ring to land Sorsby on cheap deal, rather than potentially re-sign Mayfield to a top-dollar contract and stay on the treadmill of barely competing.

It’s a rare chance for a division-contender to get a young QB on the cheap.

Minnesota Vikings

I am a big, big fan of putting Kyler Murray in Minnesota — but there’s no guarantee this will work like it did with Sam Darnold a couple of years back. That means Sorsby would be a high-level contingency plan, should this go belly up and Murray is a middling quarterback in 2026.

The Vikings have shot themselves in the foot so many times by refusing to really rebuild at the QB position and trading up for J.J. McCarthy was a symptom of this. McCarthy has shown he’s not the guy, and maybe he can still be developed — but Sorsby has more physical tools that Kevin O’Connell can work with. A second or third rounder is worth taking the flier on adding to a needy QB room for a team that could easily win 10+ games this season.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons don’t have a lot of faith in Michael Penix Jr, and they sure shouldn’t have faith in Tua Tagovailoa. That means Sorsby is a “why not?” for Atlanta. There’s very little to show that either Penix or Tua can get the Falcons over the hump, and this team is not going to be bad enough to pick high for a quarterback.

This is the spot I feel the least-confident in, because ultimately I think new head coach Kevin Stefanski is going to want a year to evaluate his passers before making a determination, but there’s also a chance he’s already seen enough to warrant tossing a Day 2 pick into the supplemental draft to land a player Atlanta wouldn’t get otherwise.