Brendan Sorsby Rejection Letter Had MASSIVE Flaws
Whether the NFL declining Sorsby’s application for a supplemental draft was fair or not, the rejection letter is comically worded, and deserves to be called out.
Brendan Sorsby will not be playing football this year. Perhaps deservedly so. Gambling on games you have an impact or potential impact on the outcome hurts the integrity of fair competition as well as the spirit of a fair bet. Whether the NFL declining Sorsby’s application for a supplemental draft was fair or not, the rejection letter is comically worded, and deserves to be called out. Here’s the breakdown of the poorly worded NFL declination, originally obtained by Adam Schefter.
We are in receipt of your Petition for Special Eligibility, dated June 16, 2026 (“Petition”). As announced earlier today, the League has elected not to conduct a Supplemental Draft this year.
Under our Collective Bargaining Agreement, the League retains sole discretion to determine whether it is appropriate to conduct a Supplemental Draft in any given year. The League has not conducted such a draft for several years and, prior to your submission, the League had no plans to do so this year, as no other player has sought entry. Your Petition—filed three business days before the deadline, without any supporting information or documentation, and only after abandoning your recent litigation efforts to avoid NCAA sanctions—does not provide a basis for the League to alter those plans.”
Mentioning that the submission was three business days before the deadline might be the funniest way to say “on time” that I can think of. If three days before the deadline isn’t enough time, then the league should move the deadline up. Also, “business days” is not an accidental phrase. So the application was likely turned in more than three calendar days ahead of the deadline. Seeing how the NFL is a Sunday business, there is no such thing as “business days.” Regardless, as far as timelines go, Sorsby’s submission was on time.
“Without any supporting information or documentation” is also a hilarious way to play dumb. “Brendan who?” I mean, it was only the college football story of the summer…
Stating that Sorsby’s application came “only after abandoning your recent litigation efforts to avoid NCAA sanctions” is the most telling early part of the entire letter.
The NFL didn’t reject Sorsby’s application because it was filed just “three business days” before the deadline, or because he didn’t have the proper supporting documentation. They rejected it because they didn’t want to let him get away with circumventing the NCAA’s punishment.
And on the one hand, should Sorsby receive some form of punishment for engaging in sports betting while playing in college football? Yes.
Is that up to the NFL? It shouldn’t be. He broke the rules when he was in college, not the NFL.
Having said that, the NFL has a GREAT deal with College Football right now. They get a free farm system to pick from every single year. If all was fair, the NFL would have to pay a portion of what colleges are paying to players now. Afterall, those players are NFL investments. As such, the NFL doesn’t want to upset their very beneficial status quo. Therefore, every now and then the NFL doesn’t mind being the NCAA’s hammer when players try avoiding them. (Doesn’t apply to coaches)
“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.”
This is also comical because it implies the NFL hasn’t already looked into Sorsby’s actions, or doesn’t know what he did.
Fun fact, the NFL owns 10% of ESPN. Hey NFL, ask your own business partners about what Sorsby did! They already conducted a review right here! (It’s an ESPN article link)
“The sole reasons identified in your Petition for seeking entry into the Supplemental Draft are that you have been “declared ineligible” by the NCAA, have “exhausted all of [your] avenues to continue in the NCAA,” and “want to now play in the NFL.” The Petition provides no information regarding the basis for, or timing of, the NCAA’s decision.”
Once again, I’ll refer you to your business partner at www.espn.com
“Public sources, however, indicate that in May 2026 the NCAA issued a determination declaring you permanently ineligible from participation in college athletics, based on a sustained pattern of improper gambling activity during your collegiate career at three different universities.”
“Public sources” So, Fox Sports?
“The League does not have the complete record of the NCAA’s investigation, and you did not provide any such materials with your Petition. Available information nonetheless indicates that, over the course of your collegiate career, you knowingly engaged in repeated and significant violations of NCAA rules designed to preserve the integrity of athletic competition. Reported conduct includes placing wagers on your own team and teammates and, to avoid detection, establishing or funding accounts in the names of intermediaries who placed bets on your behalf. There are also reports that you may have violated state criminal law.
Your Petition does not address these matters. Nor does it demonstrate accountability for your conduct or indicate whether, or how, you would adhere to the League’s rules and policies governing the integrity of competition.”
Most of this section is fair, but there was nothing to stop the NFL from sitting down with Brendan and asking him exactly those questions. They could have made Brendan available to 31 Owners, a Packers Executive, and 32 GMs. There’s a month until training camp begins. That’s plenty of time for any interested teams to speak with Brendan. Plenty of time for Goodell to speak with Brendan. There was no indication that Sorsby was expected to plead his case in the Supplemental Draft application.
“Instead, even after receiving notice of the NCAA’s decision rescinding your college eligibility in May, you sought to avoid the consequences of that determination through litigation rather than accepting responsibility for your actions, and you pursued entry into the NFL only after abandoning those efforts.”
How dare you exercise your legal rights instead of just accepting whatever punishment the NCAA deems fit!
“As Commissioner Goodell has emphasized, participation in the NFL is a privilege that carries with it significant responsibilities, including accountability. By all accounts, you are a talented player with the potential for future success. We encourage you to focus on preparing for possible entry into the NFL through the 2027 NFL Annual Draft.”
In other words, not allowing you into the Supplemental Draft is your punishment. And THAT is what Sorsby has a year to figure out with the league. Because he could take this issue to court. What he and his lawyer should do is leverage that option in lieu of suspension and make sure the message is clear to 32 clubs. Brendan Sorsby will NOT be suspended if and when he is drafted in 2027.
At the end of the day, the NFL can do whatever it wants. It doesn’t HAVE to hold a Supplemental Draft. And as other outlets often point out, the NFL doesn’t care, or want to care, about precedent. The fact that Terelle Pryor entered the supplemental draft in 2011, and then received a five game suspension (For breaking no longer existent NCAA rules by selling his own merchandise), doesn’t matter to the league.
Brendan, you’ve got a year to negotiate with the league, train for the NFL Combine, and go on tour to be a cautionary tale for other college football players (If for no other reason than to demonstrate repentance to the league).
The NFL let Deshaun Watson play again. They let Michael Vick play again. They let Ben Roethlisberger play again. I think they can give Brendan Sorsby a chance, for a much less harmful crime.
Written by Seattle Mike