Overview
- The NFL informed teams on Tuesday that it will not hold a supplemental draft in 2026, removing Sorsby’s only immediate route to join the league this year.
- A letter from Lawrence P. Ferazani Jr. said Sorsby filed his petition just three business days before the deadline, submitted no supporting investigation records, and raised issues too closely tied to the league’s integrity interests for a timely review.
- Public and court records show Sorsby admitted to thousands of wagers worth about $90,000 while at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech, he entered residential treatment for gambling, won a temporary injunction to play, then withdrew his lawsuit before applying to the supplemental draft.
- Sorsby’s lawyer Jeffrey Kessler said they will challenge the NFL’s decision through the NFLPA, while the league noted the Collective Bargaining Agreement gives it discretion to hold the event and that Sorsby could instead play in other leagues this year or wait for the 2027 draft.
- The move underscores a league choice to prioritize competitive integrity over a rapid eligibility resolution and could prompt further legal and labor disputes while shaping how leagues treat players who seek treatment for gambling disorders.