Should the Atlanta Falcons Take a Chance on Brendan Sorsby?

Former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has been one of the most polarizing sports figures of the last several weeks. After an unprecedented dispute with the NCAA over his eligibility following a suspension for gambling on college football, he withdrew his suit and plans to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft.

Sorsby, 22, is a fascinating prospect. He is talented, and many scouts had him pegged as a potential first-round pick in last April’s Draft, but he is as controversial a prospect as I can recall.

Several NFL franchises will look into him, but should the Atlanta Falcons be one of them?

What Is the NFL’s Supplemental Draft?

The Supplemental Draft is intended for players who did not enter the standard NFL Draft earlier in the year, but it has not been fully utilized since 2019, when the Cardinals selected Jalen Thompson (the last quarterback was Terrell Pryor in 2011). It is usually reserved for draft-eligible players who face unexpected eligibility issues (academic or disciplinary) that would prevent them from playing college football.

These prospects must apply and be approved by the NFL for this ability – the last time it happened was in 2023, and no players were selected.

Should the league office approve Sorsby, the Supplemental Draft is determined via a lottery system based on the previous season’s results. It starts with teams with six or fewer wins, then moves to the other non-playoff teams (which would include the Falcons), and ends with the 14 playoff teams.

The subsequent selections within each group are determined at random, and interested teams can submit a bid for that player in a specific round. If more than one team submits for the same round, the franchise that picks first in the order would be awarded that player. That franchise would then forfeit that specific pick in the subsequent NFL Draft.

Why the Falcons Should Consider Brendan Sorsby

Brendan Sorsby Is Worth Investigating, But Falcons Should Proceed Carefully | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Brendan Sorsby did something reprehensible by a competitor’s mindset, but he plays the game’s most important position and has the physical traits of a franchise quarterback. His combination of tools, upside, and unique circumstances makes him a widely intriguing player.

He is a 6-foot-3, 235-pound player with a good arm and good athleticism. He had 7,208 yards passing, while completing 61.4% of his attempts for 60 touchdowns and 18 interceptions over 35 games at Cincinnati (2024-25) and Indiana (2022-23). He also rushed for another 1,295 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Several scouts and pundits had him flirting with a first-round grade, and he had a reasonable argument to have been one of the first quarterbacks off the board last April if he had gone out. A first is not coming for him, so he could be coming on a bargain, relatively speaking (think about him in the Ty Simpson range).

The interview process will ultimately determine his value. The concerns are off the field, but if he can ace those conversations with general managers and give teams comfort that he has his gambling addiction in a good place, then they might take a run at him. If they don’t, they’ll pull out.

With their uncertain situation under center, it would be worth the Falcons’ while to do their due diligence on him, at the very least. Michael Penix Jr. is not yet recovered from his third ACL tear, and Tua Tagovailoa could be viewed as a one-year rental. One might work out, but there is a very real scenario in which neither player works out, and the Falcons are thrust back into the quarterback market next offseason.

If he passes the interview, why not throw a mid-round pick at him and see if it sticks? He would be a high-upside play on a cheap contract, acquired with day-two capital. That might be too good to pass up.

Why the Falcons Should Not Consider Brendan Sorsby

Should the Falcons gamble on troubled QB prospect Brendan Sorsby? | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gambling on football is about as bad as anything an athlete can do. And we have seen similar circumstances hold some of baseball's greatest players (all-time hits leader Pete Rose) out of the Hall of Fame and land others on one-way trains out of professional leagues with lifetime bans.

That is expected of any athlete, but quarterbacks are regularly held to a much higher standard. The position demands leadership and accountability. Players take on the persona of the guy under center, and is this really the person you want taking on that awesome responsibility?

He knew what he was doing was wrong, as evidenced by his use of fake names to evade NCAA rules. That’s a flaw in judgment that is hard to overlook.

And while some pundits were high on him for his on-field prowess, Sorsby was clearly a polarizing enough player to choose to go back to school rather than enter his name. That alone should tell you that he is not a surefire franchise starter. Some had him as low as a late day-two selection due to some accuracy concerns.

Is he also a better prospect than anyone the Falcons would target next spring? Not saying they would be in the mix for all these guys, but would the Falcons rather have him over an Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Julian Sayin, Jayden Maiava, CJ Carr, or any of those other potential options? There is a lot of talent in that pool that he would need to be judged against.

Additionally, the Falcons would have a lot of competition for the quarterback, should they choose to pursue him. The New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, or Pittsburgh Steelers could all throw their hat in on him, and three of those teams would have a higher draft priority and a more desperate situation to consider.

The Jets are sitting on an aging Geno Smith and several uninspiring other players (Bailey Zappe, Brady Cook, and rookie Cade Klubnik). They have also been stocking up on draft capital dating back to last season. For the Cardinals, they could improve on a rookie Carson Beck and aging Jacoby Brissett. The Steelers are in the final year of Aaron Rodgers’ career, without a clear heir apparent. The Browns are the Browns.

One wildcard could be the Carolina Panthers or the Miami Dolphins, who both have extra mid-round selections in next spring’s draft.

The Falcons could throw a pick out there, but it would probably cost them a good bit more than what they might be comfortable with spending.

What the Falcons Should Do With Brendan Sorsby

If I were Ian Cunningham, I would at least look into the polarizing player. There is plenty of uncertainty at quarterback, and enough that they have to realistically consider any reasonable alternative path forward beyond the 2026 season.

That said, I would be exceedingly cautious with the player himself and overly critical of any red flags in his interview. If anything made me hesitate, I would pull out immediately. If he passes, then a fifth-round selection (the Falcons do not have a sixth after their trade for Wanya Morris last week) would be the most I would put on the line.

In reality, that capital may not be enough to get it done anyway.

Someone will roll the dice on Brendan Sorsby. The Falcons should watch closely, but be fine if it's someone else's bet to make.

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