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Sorsby Settlement Clears Path to 2027 NFL Draft

7/1/2026

Summary

Sorsby Draft-Eligible

Settlement ended litigation, making Brendan Sorsby eligible for 2027 NFL Draft.
Sorsby accepted responsibility, saying his gambling addiction produced $90,000 in bets.
The NFL told Sorsby on June 23 he would not be drafted in 2026 and, in a June 30 memo, named him draft-eligible for 2027, barring signing before the draft.
The league will not discipline Sorsby but may investigate while he sits out 2026 to recover and train.

Summary

Sorsby Ineligible

Jeffrey Kessler argued the NFL’s refusal to hold a 2026 supplemental draft breached collective bargaining agreement and law.
The Canadian Football League will not register Sorsby’s contract, citing league integrity.
The NCAA ruled Sorsby ineligible for the upcoming season after his gambling bets on Indiana games.
Sorsby entered treatment for gambling addiction, leaving junior-college football as his only path before the 2027 draft and remains outside the NFL Players Association.

History

Historical Context

After the FBI disclosed Tim Donaghy’s betting on games he officiated in July 2007, NBA commissioner David Stern forced Donaghy’s resignation, secured a guilty plea on August 15, and instituted 2007 reforms that banned officials from sports wagering, moved referee announcements to game morning, and added training. The scandal cost Donaghy about $300,000 in illegal payouts and led to a 15-month prison sentence.

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Sorsby Draft-Eligible

Settlement ended litigation, making Brendan Sorsby eligible for 2027 NFL Draft.
Sorsby accepted responsibility, saying his gambling addiction produced $90,000 in bets.
The NFL told Sorsby on June 23 he would not be drafted in 2026 and, in a June 30 memo, named him draft-eligible for 2027, barring signing before the draft.
The league will not discipline Sorsby but may investigate while he sits out 2026 to recover and train.

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