Brendan Sorsby Is OUT of the 2026 Draft, And the NFL's Gambling Stance Is a Mess

Alright, 12s, get ready for some serious league drama because the NFL just pulled a move that makes zero sense, and it's got us shaking our heads. PFT confirmed the league is straight-up *not* conducting a supplemental draft in July 2026. Why? Because of one player, Brendan Sorsby, and the NFL's absolutely baffling decision process around his gambling activities. This means Sorsby, a guy who could have been making plays on the field this fall, now won't even sniff the NFL until the April 2027 draft. Talk about a cold shoulder.

The League's "Investigation" Is a Total Cop-Out

The official word from the NFL, per a source, is that there wasn't "insufficient time to fully investigate his gambling activities." Are you kidding me? This feels like a total cop-out, plain and simple. We're talking about the NFL, a multi-billion dollar organization, claiming they couldn't find time. The buzz about Sorsby potentially applying for the supplemental draft was clear back in late April. They had *months* to get this going. It's not like this dropped on their lap last week. The league could have, and frankly *should* have, started looking into it the moment it was on their radar. What are they even doing with all that time and money? And here's the kicker: the NFL didn't even *need* to investigate his gambling activities to determine his draft eligibility. Seriously! There's no rule in the books that ties pre-NFL gambling to whether a player can be drafted. So, their big reason for shut

Trade on Every Game with Kalshi

Click Here to sign up to Kalshi — Free $10 when you sign up using our link or use code: ONTAPSEA. The only federally regulated prediction market in the US. Trade on real sports outcomes. Available in all 50 states.

ting down an entire supplemental draft is based on a problem that technically doesn't even exist under their own rules? This is the kind of stuff that makes you question their whole operation.

Sorsby's Legal Battle and the NFL's Double Standard

Now, the big question hanging out there is whether Sorsby will actually take the NFL to court over this. He's not drafted yet, so he's not part of the union, but his lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, is no stranger to fighting the league. Kessler already scored a temporary injunction that restored Sorsby's NCAA eligibility just 15 days ago. That's a strong track record, and you know he's not afraid to push back. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see Kessler file a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction to get Sorsby on the field sooner. This whole situation just highlights the NFL's bizarre and often inconsistent stance on gambling. What's even wilder is that the league *currently* has two other players who engaged in similar gambling behavior to Sorsby while they were in college. So, they're sitting on their hands, not addressing those situations with the same urgency, but Sorsby gets the hammer dropped and prevents an entire draft from happening? The double standard is impossible to ignore, and it’s a bad look for the shield. This isn't just about one player; it's about the integrity of the league's rules and how they're applied. The NFL's actions here could set a messy precedent. We'll be watching closely to see if Sorsby fights back, because the league's excuses just aren't cutting it.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.