Does Khan eye Sorsby from afar?

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published May 5, 2026, 8:24 AM

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback carousel might get even more crowded if Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby enters the NFL Supplemental Draft. Beginning in 1977, it was created for players who became draft eligible after the regular NFL Draft deadline has passed.

In late April of 2026, word surfaced that Sorsby was stepping away from football. Within hours, Texas Tech Red Raiders confirmed what those around the program had begun to sense. Sorsby had taken an indefinite leave of absence and entered a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction.

The move came on the heels of an NCAA investigation into Sorsby’s past betting activity, dating back to his earlier time with the Indiana Hoosiers. Reports indicated a volume of wagers that couldn’t be dismissed as casual mistakes and thousands of bets placed across multiple sports. More troubling, investigators were examining whether any of those wagers involved games connected to Indiana while Sorsby was still in the program.

This is where the Steelers enter the equation.

Everyone knows that General Manager Omar Khan is not shy about making a big move and adding pieces immediately if they are available. Absent of the gambling issue, Sorsby is projected to be a first-round pick.

Passing for over 7,000 years (7,208) with 60 touchdowns and just 18 interceptions the 6-foot-3 and 235 pound quarterback offers every team not only the Steelers a unique opportunity.

The NCAA could rule him ineligible and force his hand into entering the NFL Supplemental Draft. That is where their paths cross at the intersection.

That detail matters. Under NCAA rules, any athlete wagering on sports risks eligibility. Betting on games tied to your own school regardless of participation crosses into territory that has historically led to permanent ineligibility.

Pittsburgh has three quarterbacks on the current roster with the option of Aaron Rodgers lingering in the wind. His decision even though cloudy seems embeddable to return to the Steelers.

Behind Rodgers on the depth chart are Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar. Sorsby could be exactly what Pittsburgh needs. A first-round talent that suddenly isn’t in the best situation but that’s when teams looking for value pull the trigger.

Where it goes next is less certain.

There is a narrow path back to college football. It would require the NCAA to rule in a way that allows reinstatement, likely paired with a suspension and conditions tied to his recovery. That outcome depends heavily on what the investigation ultimately proves. If no bets are tied directly to his team’s games, there’s at least a framework for discipline short of a lifetime ban.

That’s where the NFL Supplemental Draft enters the conversation.

 Players ruled ineligible after the traditional draft have used it as an alternative entry point into the league. For Sorsby, it would offer a path forward but not a clean one. The National Football League has its own gambling policies, and history suggests discipline could follow him there as well. Even if a team is willing to spend a future draft pick on his talent, availability would still be a question.

Right now, that’s the reality. A quarterback with ability, a timeline that shifted overnight, and a future that hinges less on arm strength and more on what comes out of an investigation and what he builds on the other side of it.

Pittsburgh might have their sights set on the future quarterback via the NFL Supplemental Draft.

More importantly, let’s hope Sorsby gets the treatment he needs and rebounds to a long and productive NFL career.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com