Lawyer: NFL informed media of supplemental draft denial before Brendan Sorsby learned his fate

Brendan Sorsby’s attorney says the league’s decision on the quarterback’s supplemental draft petition was shared with reporters prior to the player being notified.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The NFL’s handling of Brendan Sorsby’s bid to enter the supplemental draft has become a point of contention, after the quarterback’s attorney said the media was alerted before Sorsby learned the decision.

According to the attorney, NFL coverage of the supplemental draft denial circulated before Sorsby was informed that his petition to enter the league’s supplemental process had been rejected. The dispute centers on timing: the attorney said Sorsby learned about the rejection at nearly the same time as “almost everyone else,” even though reporting had already indicated the league was denying his request.

Sorsby, a former Texas Tech quarterback, sought to join the supplemental draft, a league mechanism designed for certain eligible players who must submit to the NFL under special circumstances outside the regular event. Unlike the standard April or offseason draft workflow, the supplemental draft is tied to procedural eligibility and deadlines, and NFL teams can still add players while forfeiting corresponding picks based on where they select them.

The legal complaint, as described in the reporting, does not change the basic reality that the NFL ultimately rejected Sorsby’s petition. It does, however, raise questions about internal communications and notice procedures when a player is pursuing a late route into the league. If Sorsby’s attorney is correct, the concern is less about the outcome and more about the sequence of who was told first and when.

For Sorsby, the practical impact is straightforward: a supplemental draft denial closes one pathway into the NFL for that specific cycle. For teams, the denial narrows the player pool available in the supplemental process, which is typically limited compared with the broader regular draft. It also underscores that supplemental eligibility and petition standards can be unforgiving, even for prospects with established college careers.

What to watch next is whether the attorney provides additional details about the league’s communications and whether any formal review occurs through the appropriate channels. In the meantime, players and agents are likely to pay closer attention to how supplemental petition decisions are communicated, especially for quarterbacks and other prospects trying to navigate eligibility outside the regular draft timeline.

Why It Matters

Supplemental draft petitions are a narrow, time-sensitive pathway into the NFL, and communication timing can affect how players and agents plan their next steps.
The situation spotlights the NFL’s procedural gatekeeping in determining who is eligible to be considered outside the regular draft window.
For teams, denials reduce the pool of candidates available through the supplemental format and reinforce that roster-building via this route depends on meeting strict criteria.

Sources

Key Facts

Brendan Sorsby’s attorney said the NFL alerted media about the denial of Sorsby’s supplemental draft petition before Sorsby was personally notified.
The reporting describes Sorsby as a former Texas Tech quarterback seeking entry into the NFL’s supplemental draft process.
The NFL rejected Sorsby’s petition to enter the supplemental draft, according to the attorney’s account.
The attorney said Sorsby learned of the rejection at roughly the same time as “almost everyone else,” while media had already been informed earlier.