Steelers Get Interesting Endorsement for Brendan Sorsby

Brendan Sorsby received a ringing endorsement from one of college football's elite head coaches in Indiana's Curt Cignetti, which is particularly relevant for the Pittsburgh Steelers while they mull the idea of bidding a pick on him in the supplemental draft amidst his gambling scandal.

Cignetti, who is the older brother of Steelers senior offensive assistant Frank Cignetti Jr., stated on "The Rich Eisen Show" that Sorsby remained at Indiana for a short period of time after he was hired in November 2023 before transferring to Cincinnati and left a strong impression.

"I know Brendan a little bit. He was actually in the program for about a week and a half when I was hired," Cignetti said. "I think he's an outstanding quarterback and a great kid. I think he's going to be a great pro with the proper support to overcome some of the issues he's had."

Cignetti never got a real chance to coach Sorsby, but considering how positively he views him both on and off the field, perhaps he'd help convince Pittsburgh to do what it takes to land the 22-year-old quarterback should his brother and other members of the organization call on him for another testimonial.

Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby goes through warmups before the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Would Steelers Actually Be Comfortable Bringing in Sorsby?

The Steelers shouldn't have any real reservations about Sorsby's ability to handle the quarterback position at the NFL, nor was that ever the biggest roadblock standing in the way of them throwing their hat in the ring when it comes to the supplemental draft.

From his rocket of an arm to his size and ability to pick up yards with his leg as well as manuever around the pocket and evade pressure in that regard, Sorsby has the makings of a potential franchise signal caller who just needs to refine his game before being thrown into action.

A first-round talent, it goes without saying that Sorsby's gambling situation is a doozy and likely even a potential dealbreaker for some teams.

Pittsburgh has reportedly done some work on Sorsby, though, and at least appears willing to seriously ponder the idea of putting up a pick in an attempt to bring him in once the supplemental draft is underway next month.

The Steelers have gone on record and spoken about how high they are on their current quarterback room, and likely having to part ways with both Mason Rudolph and Will Howard over Drew Allar as a means of opening up a roster spot for Sorsby might be risky.

His talent level isn't the barrier in this case, as mentioned above, and it's more so about Pittsburgh deciding whether or not the possible headache of adding Sorsby is worth the ramifications that may follow.

For example, it's at least feasible that the NFL will look to hand down a suspension once he officially enters the league, which could put the Steelers in a compromising situation. Furthermore, there has to be questions about his character after allegedly placing bets on Indiana football games when he was a member of the program.

Pittsburgh has its own legal team that would look into the matter and have to give the go ahead, so if everything is good on that front, perhaps the franchise will end up being comfortable with the baggage Sorsby would bring to the table, especially if he has someone like Cignetti vouching for him.

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