Jerry Jones loves a reclamation project, especially if it comes with some red flags. Back in the dynasty years, many flagged Charles Haley’s temperament and behavior, but when the Dallas Cowboys traded for him in 1992, Jones was waiting for him at the airport. That story ended with Haley’s name on the Ring of Honor. This offseason, Jones came close to making a similar move – that too for a quarterback – but the league snatched it away from his fingertips.

“When Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby put his name in the supplemental draft, multiple sources said the Cowboys had high interest even with the gambling issues that surrounded Sorsby,” reported ESPN’s Todd Archer. “Prescott is signed through 2028, so an attempt to potentially find his successor at what could have been a lower-than-expected price would have made sense even if it drew added attention to the Cowboys’ quarterback room. Ultimately, the NFL declined to hold a supplemental draft – denying Sorsby’s eligibility this year.”

Sorsby’s gambling issue is what actually killed his 2026 route to the NFL. The NCAA discovered he’d placed at least $90,000 in impermissible bets across his time at Indiana, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech, including 40 wagers on Indiana football as a freshman in 2022. His legal team won a temporary injunction to keep him eligible for one more college season, but Texas Tech and Sorsby ultimately walked away from that fight rather than drag the Red Raiders’ Big 12 title hopes through a legal mess.

He then applied for the NFL’s supplemental draft, and the league rejected him outright. NFL general counsel Larry Ferazani said Sorsby’s conduct was “too closely tied to the League’s core integrity interests” to clear him on short notice. Sorsby didn’t fight the rejection. He dropped any further legal action, and put out a statement noting he “did not have control” over his gambling problem, and called getting caught “the best thing that could’ve happened.” The NFL confirmed he won’t face discipline for past betting, but they locked him out of the supplemental draft.

If he had been eligible, Jerry Jones would have jumped at the opportunity. Last season, in the middle of the Micah Parsons standoff, he called his team a “soap opera 365 days a year” and said, “controversy is good stuff.” Had Sorsby joined The Gambler and His Cowboys, the ensuing headlines would only have kept Dallas in the limelight as always. But what about Dak Prescott?

Prescott’s 2024 season ended with a hamstring injury in Week 9. But he came back last season, displayed the same fire he had before that hammy got in his way, and led his team to a 7-9-1 record despite the defense sinking them at every snap. This year, with a retooled defense and one of the best offenses in the league, the Cowboys are legitimate contenders once again. But Jones has remained cautious.

Back in January, Jones had already hinted at buyer’s remorse, saying when he gave Dak his $240M extension in 2024, he “didn’t expect” to miss the playoffs two years in a row. If an injury derails Prescott, or if he underperforms, Jones might keep looking for answers elsewhere.

Now, the supplemental draft snub was just Sorsby’s story this year. In 2027, he will be back in the running, this time eligible for the regular pre-draft processes. Looking at the moves Jones made in this year’s draft, it won’t be a reach to think Dallas will pull off a move to get Sorsby at last. That plan does have a hitch – other eligible QBs higher up on the draft board – but choosing them might not give Jerry Jones the “controversy” he craves.

On one hand, Dak Prescott had promised his team the playoffs this year. On the other hand, Dallas’ 30-year Super Bowl drought has rendered even the staunchest supporters into skeptics. Whether their 2026 season ends without January football or not, it looks like the Cowboys have already been prepping for a future without No. 4.