The NFL Supplemental Draft seemed like a divine intervention for Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech, who had tried to ensure the quarterback evaded the punishment of the NCAA and Big 12. While that was successfully done, Sorsby’s escape to the NFL might be another trap in disguise. Chances remain that Sorsby faces the punishment he was running from, but this time, from a different and bigger executor.

“There’s a risk that the NFL might punish him when he makes it to the league, and suspended for some games,” The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen said on The Rich Eisen Show.

Sorsby faced a clear violation of policies, therefore, when it seemed like he was getting only a two-game suspension for placing over 40 bets on the Indiana Hoosiers while he played for the program, the whole of college football went wild. On noticing the NCAA lacked the authority to punish him, the Big 12 took the law into its own hands. And even before then, certain programs had decided to boycott the Red Raiders, before Sorsby escaped via the NFL Supplemental Draft.

Sorsby, who entered the Supplemental Draft to salvage his football career, now faces an uncertain future as NFL front offices evaluate his past infractions. The NFL prohibits all players, coaches, and league personnel from betting on the NFL or its related activities. This rule also extends to the players’ close associates, who are not allowed to place a bet for the players. And though players are allowed to bet on other sports, they are prohibited from doing so at team facilities, team hotels, or during team travel. Players are also prohibited from playing fantasy football, entering a sportsbook during the NFL playing season, and sharing inside information.

Sorsby’s gambling history violates the NFL’s conditions for gambling, even when he was not an NFL player. He did not just place bets on any college football team; he placed bets on his own team. NFL wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for an entire season for betting on NFL games involving his own team. This happened despite him placing fewer than 10 bets, wagering a total of $1,500, over five days while he was away from the team. In comparison, Sorsby wagered over $90,000, placed bets through four years, including while he trained with the team.

Nevertheless, the punishment from the NFL would not be as severe as that of the NCAA, which had decided that he was permanently ineligible to play college football. In the NFL, he would possibly be suspended for a few games. And even if the suspension is overblown, he has a full NFL career ahead of him to bounce back from it, compared to college football, where he was to miss the final season that would have gotten him into the NFL draft. Interestingly, an NFL suspension may not be bad after all, as the time out could be spent working on his major weakness.

“I saw a quote today from an NFL team, might have been anonymous, that said they don’t mind that he needs some time to sit on the bench, and really clean up that footwork,” Nguyen added. “So, yeah, like he mentioned, having that extra year is gonna benefit him, and I think some teams that are considering him would think that he needs some time to sit down and really just kind of sit down and rework his mechanics and his footwork.”

At this point, Sorsby can only accept his fate and hope his case is treated like Boutte’s case in 2024.

Why Sorsby may go unpunished

Following the precedent of Patriots receiver Kayshon Bouette’s gambling scandal, the NFL is unlikely to punish Sorsby. Sorsby’s agent, Ron Slavin, cited Boutte’s case as evidence of why Sorsby would not be punished by the NFL.

“No, because there’s a precedent set with the Boutte kid out of LSU, where he had gambling, and when he got to the NFL, he didn’t get any suspension or sit out at all,” Slavin told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “I think the precedent’s been set there.”

Nine months after joining the NFL, Bouette was arrested for allegedly placing over 8,900 wagers in college, with at least six of them being placed on his team, the LSU Tigers. Despite the fact that he was also underage at the time of the bets, the NFL decided not to punish him, as his betting happened during his college career. But such conclusions can not be made about Sorsby yet. Until he enters the NFL, his punishment remains uncertain.