Steelers Find Out Exactly What They Would Be Getting In Controversial Prospect Brendan Sorsby

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the teams in the NFL that have been mentioned in connection to quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Sorsby was supposed to be a quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft, and he was considered to be a potential first-round pick. Things changed once the young quarterback was hit with some gambling accusations. It was confirmed he had a gambling problem and even checked into a rehab facility, and it was confirmed that he had bet on games during his time with the Indiana Hoosiers. After this wild turn of events, he is now entering the NFL's Supplemental Draft in 2026.

Sorsby was initially ruled ineligible to return to college football for the 2026 season, where he was supposed to play at Texas Tech after signing a big NIL deal with the school after transferring from Cincinnati. The quarterback was granted an injunction on June 8, meaning he could play in 2026, but he would have to serve a two-game suspension. It was reported on Monday that the quarterback prospect would instead enter the Supplemental Draft. 

The Supplemental Draft could be risky. Teams in the NFL essentially bid on the players that enter. The bidding uses next year's draft capital. If a team thinks Sorsby is worthy of a first-round pick, it would submit that bid, likely win, and then that team would not have their first round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft. It is hard to gauge what Sorsby is worth, but Lance Zierlein has him tabbed as an average starter in the league.

"I watched Brendan Sorsby and wrote him up a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of him entering the Supplemental Draft," Zierlein wrote on X. "Here is how I saw him. Gave him a 6.24 grade, which is average NFL starter."

An average NFL starter is not a bad thing in the slightest, and there are a ton of teams that would probably sign up for that immediately. However, there is likely no team that would do that for a high draft pick. Especially due to the media circus that could follow the quarterback, along with the controversy.

When it was announced that Sorsby was being allowed to return to college football, the sports world went into an outrage. Sorsby and Texas Tech caught backlash, and maybe that played a factor in the quarterback eventually deciding to try to go to the NFL instead. Zierlein wrote a detailed description of Sorsby's game.

"Sorsby is driven by a strong competitive nature and admirable level of energy on the field," Zierlein wrote. "His combination of size and athleticism is in line with what teams covet in today's game. A gunslinger's mentality allows for impressive deep throws to beat single coverage downfield, but also leads to poor decision-making against high-safety looks. Sorsby doesn't have elite arm strength, but he can throw with enough velocity and brings impressive arm talent to the field. He possesses NFL QB1 talent, but climbing that hill and staying there will require him to become more consistent in getting through progressions and altering his game plan once the coverage look changes post-snap."

Sorsby's athletic abilities should be coveted by NFL teams, and that is a reason he was thought to be a first-round pick in 2027. He also has a good amount of experience, so he has a good chance to be an average to above-average quarterback in the NFL.

Steelers Will Likely Steer Clear Of Brendan Sorsby

The Steelers are a team that could use Sorsby, but the organization probably won't risk a first- or second-round pick on the controversial quarterback. There is no telling what kind of backlash the organization would face, and it is also worth noting that Sorsby could be suspended for part of the 2026 season, even in the NFL. That is what happened to Terrelle Pryor back in 2011 due to a scandal that happened while he was in college.

What do you think about this analysis of Sorsby? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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