NFL tells Brendan Sorsby hard truths he needs to hear: He's not special | Opinion

Texas Tech tried to make you see Brendan Sorsby as a victim. I didn't buy it, the Big 12 didn't buy it, and the NFL didn't buy it, either.

Sorsby broke the NCAA's gambling rules for years. He bet on his own team. After getting caught, he fessed up to being a sports gambling addict and entered a recovery program.

He's a rule breaker, and he's an addict, and he's also a talented quarterback.

What he's not: a victim.

Betting on sports doesn't make Sorsby a bad person, but, make no mistake, he's responsible for the mess he finds himself in.

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If Sorsby whips his gambling addiction, he could have an NFL future. Just not this season.

The NFL says it's declining to hold a supplemental draft that could have allowed Sorsby to join a pro roster in time for this season.

I don't fault the NFL. I fault Sorsby. This adversity he's facing was self-inflicted. He repeatedly broke a black-and-white rule. College football players don't get to bet on college football, and the NFL recognized what a judge in Texas ignored: Sorsby's actions raise integrity concerns.

NFL says Brendan Sorsby tried to avoid consequences of gambling

The NFL is not required to conduct a supplemental draft. The league's collective bargaining agreement gives the NFL sole discretion on whether to have one or not. No player has been selected with a supplemental pick since 2019.

Let's see Sorsby go a year without betting on sports, and then we can talk about Sorsby in the 2027 NFL Draft. That's basically what the NFL said, while denying to conduct a supplemental draft for him.

"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," Larry Ferazani, general counsel of the NFL Management Council,wrote in a letter to Sorsby denying his petition for a supplemental draft.

In effect, the NFL said the quiet part out loud: Mr. Sorsby, you aren't special. You're a rule breaker who put yourself in a bad spot.

After receiving notice of the NCAA's decision rescinding your college eligibility in May," Ferazani wrote to Sorsby, 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."

Those must be difficult truths for Sorsby to hear, but they're true all the same.

Sorsby risked his right to play in 2026 when his gambling habit caught up with him.

By all accounts," Ferazani added, 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."

On cue, Sorsby's lawyer, in comments to multiple media outlets including USA TODAY, threatened further action. Lawyers and their billable hours remain the only winners in this tale.

Brendan Sorsby can get help for addiction, then enter 2027 NFL Draft

This ruling from the NFL might be exactly what Sorsby needs.

Instead of fighting for his spot on an NFL depth chart these next few months, Sorsby can focus on overcoming his addiction and proving to NFL personnel he's able to avoid relapse. He also can use this time to work with personal trainers to fine-tune his mechanics ahead of the NFL scouting combine next year.

Sorsby possesses physical attributes that give him a shot at NFL future, but folks who know the league would tell you his form and mechanics need some polish.

Without his gambling history, Sorsby would be an intriguing pro prospect. Insert the gambling history, and it becomes much more complicated.

Sorsby wouldn't be the first NFL player to compete after betting on college football. Kayshon Boutte illegally bet on college games, including bets involving his own team, while playing for LSU. By the time he got caught for those past bets, Boutte was already in the NFL. The league chose not to suspend him. He's still in the NFL.

Don't give up on" athletes who developed a gambling addiction, Boutte wrote in a 2024 essay. Maybe they just need some help."

If Sorsby gets help and accepts accountability for his mistakes, he could join Boutte in the NFL - just not this year.

This is a sad saga, but the NFL didn't view Sorsby as the victim, and he's not entitled to a special path into the league. He's an addict with a chance at recovery.

Blake Toppmeyeris the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Email him atBToppmeyer@gannett.comand follow him on X@btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brendan Sorsby must face hard truths after NFL rejection: He's no victim