NEW YORK (AP) — Quarterback Brendan Sorsby is setting his sights on the 2027 NFL Draft after choosing not to pursue a lawsuit against the league.
On Tuesday, the NFL distributed a memo to all 32 franchises confirming that Sorsby would not seek legal action following the league’s rejection of his petition to enter the supplemental draft. Sorsby’s college career came to an abrupt end after the NCAA banned him for gambling violations, which included placing bets on his own team while he was a freshman at Indiana in 2022, as well as wagering on professional sports.
Taking to Instagram Tuesday evening, Sorsby acknowledged his wrongdoing. “I accept 100% responsibility for my actions,” he wrote. “I did not have control of my gambling problem and it took getting caught to realize that, but it was truly the best thing that could have happened to me.”
Sorsby had transferred from Indiana to Cincinnati and then to Texas Tech before details of his widespread gambling problem came to light. His attempt to enter the supplemental draft came just three days before the deadline — a timeline the NFL said was far too short to properly evaluate his case. The league, which last held a supplemental draft in 2023 and hasn’t selected a player through that process since 2019, turned down his request.
In a letter sent to Sorsby last week, NFL attorney Lawrence P. Ferazani Jr. explained the league’s decision, writing: “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.”
Now 22 years old, Sorsby is officially classified as draft-eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft. He is barred from signing an NFL contract until after that draft concludes. He is also ineligible to play in the Canadian Football League in 2026.
The NFL has no current plans to punish Sorsby for previously known misconduct but retains the right to investigate him. The league may also factor in his college violations if it has reason to discipline him down the road.
With his legal challenge off the table, Sorsby now has roughly 10 months to prepare for his draft opportunity. The NCAA had declared him ineligible after determining he placed thousands of bets on sporting events totaling at least $90,000 throughout his college career. Among those were at least 40 bets on Indiana games during his freshman year in 2022, though none involved games in which he personally took the field for the Hoosiers.
“I am fully committed to being the best version of myself that I can be while getting ready for the 2027 draft,” Sorsby stated. “God makes no mistakes and I look forward to seeing the good that is to come from this.”
