Steelers' Excitement Levels On Brendan Sorsby In Supplemental Draft Get Uncovered

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very unique, but risky opportunity coming up in July. Usually, nobody gets selected in the supplemental draft, but one player here stands out more than anyone else in recent memory: quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Many draft experts projected him to be a first-round quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft, but he was part of a massive gambling scandal that came to light recently. There was a legal battle between the NCAA and the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the subject, and even though Texas Tech won, they got crushed in the court of public opinion. 

The NCAA's season-long suspension for Sorsby was overturned by the courts, which imposed a two-game suspension. That rightfully caused an outrage from not only the fans of the sport, but other teams in the Big XII. Even though Texas Tech won the right to allow him to play another season, there was no way they could actually make that happen without all kinds of other issues, so the two sides agreed to part ways.

The idea of bringing in a potential top-flight quarterback may be enticing, but do the risks outweigh the potential reward? Gerry Dulac explained the Steelers' mindset on that in his latest column for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"The Steelers already have two young quarterbacks they are developing under coach Mike McCarthy — Will Howard and Drew Allar, who was a third-round pick in April," Dulac said. "And they have never used the supplemental draft to select a player. What’s more, Sorsby’s issues will be a problem for some teams because of the NFL’s strict policies on gambling."

Long story short: the Steelers seemingly have no interest in Sorsby whatsoever. Plenty of other local reporters and insiders have gotten the same vibe from the team on this matter. Of course, Pittsburgh does need to take risks at the quarterback position eventually, but they still have to be calculated risks. Giving up future draft capital for a man with an apparent gambling problem is likely not a smart move. 

Reportedly, Sorsby is seeking treatment for his gambling problem, but until he can prove himself, why should the Steelers select him? It's unclear whether he has learned his lesson or not. With the NFL's strict gambling policies, it doesn't take much for him to be kicked out of the NFL. Because of this known history, there will be a microscope placed on him and anyone he knows to see if he's revealing inside information for money.

Steelers Have Their Own Group Of Young Quarterbacks

Drew Allar may be less NFL ready and have a much lower floor, but he doesn't have any concerns of getting suspended for off-field issues. Will Howard also likely has a lower floor than Sorsby, but that does not matter in this case. Those two men are in the building, doing everything they can to prove themselves as capable passers.

The coaching staff is focused on Howard and Allar's progress. Unless Sorsby goes undrafted, there is no reason for the Steelers to bring him into the fold and take away key reps from these other guys. It's a lot harder for Mike McCarthy to develop the mental mechanics for Allar if he also has to figure out how good or bad of a player the former Red Raider is and get him up to speed.

The idea of getting a first-round talent for much less than a first-round pick is definitely exciting. Deals like this are almost always too good to be true, however. It would be terrible if the Steelers gave up a fourth-round pick to bring Sorsby in only to have him kicked out of the league for making NFL and Pittsburgh bets, especially if it means cutting someone like Howard only to not have either passer.

What do you think about the Steelers not being interested in Sorsby? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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