Jim Cerny
If the New York Jets harbored any hopes at all of Brendan Sorsby being their quarterback of the future, those dreams and/or plans were dashed, at least temporarily, Monday.
That’s when a Texas court granted a temporary injunction against the NCAA, allowing Sorsby to return to Texas Tech for his senior year in 2026. The NCAA previously declared the 6-foot-3, 235-pound QB ineligible because he wagered roughly $90,000 on collegiate and professional sports bets over the past four years.
The decision Monday concurred with Sorsby’s defense team, which stated he would suffer “probable, imminent and irreparable injury” if he couldn’t play or practice with Texas Tech next season. As part of the decision, the court accepted the defense team’s offer of a two-game suspension to begin the season.
So, Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech after playing at Cincinnati the previous two years, will sit out non-conference games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State. Had the NCAA ban been upheld, Sorsby had until June 22 to decide whether to make himself available for the supplemental NFL Draft.
And that’s where the Jets fit in to all of this. Though they never said anything publicly about Sorsby, the Jets certianly would’ve had to consider taking him in the supplemental draft, as long as they were not scared off by his gambling issue. Since the Jets won only three games last season, they have a good chance of winning the first phase of the weighted lottery that decides the selection order in the supplemental draft.
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Jets missed out on opportunity to land Brendan Sorsby in supplemental NFL draft
In 35 collegiate games for Indiana and Cincinnati, Sorsby completed 61.6 percent of his passes, threw for 7,208 yards, and had 60 touchdown passes compared to 18 interceptions. He also rushed for 22 touchdowns, including 18 the past two seasons.
Sorsby’s considered a first-round prospect in what should be a quarterback-rich draft in 2027. He transferred to Texas Tech, the defending BIG 12 champion to increase his profile, before the gambling allegations were made public in mid-April. He spent 35 days in rehabilitation immediately afterward.
The Jets deperately need a stud QB1 for the future. Geno Smith, who’s 35 and now on his second tour of duty with Gang Green, is the clear-cut starter this season, but not for future seasons. New York has little depth to speak of behind Smith, so if he goes down this season, things look bleak.
Former New England Patriots QB Bailey Zappe signed with the Jets this offseason and Brady Cook returns for a second season, after losing each of his four starts a year ago as a rookie, when he threw two touchdown passes and was pick off seven times. Zappe is 4-5 in nine NFL starts over three seasons with the Patriots and Cleveland Browns.
So, there’s not much there for the Jets. Though they did select Cade Klubnik out of Clemson in the fourth round this year, and that has the chance to be a sneaky good pick. At one point Klubnik was considered a potential first-rounder until an injury-marred senior season made his stock drop significantly.
Yet not even Klubnik can match the skill set Sorsby brings. Which is why the decision Monday is a bit of blow to the Jets. However, Klubnik and the others don’t have the baggage that Sorsby now carries with his gambling addiction made public. So, maybe this wasn’t such a big blow after all.
But he would’ve been an affordable option for the Jets, one who they could’ve gotten to know well this season before deciding how to handle their QB future ahead of the 2027 draft. Now, they’ll consider Sorsby — and all the other draft eligible options — equally from afar.
And it keeps alive a recent Sports Illustrated prediction that Dante Moore of Oregon will end being the Jets quarterback of the future.
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