The Minnesota Vikings will have plenty to deal with as J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray battle for the starting quarterback job during training camp.
But they may have avoided an unnecessary distraction when NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on Tuesday that the NFL has informed former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby that there will not be a Supplemental Draft this year.
Per Garafolo, the NFL “told Sorsby that it is the NFL’s ‘sole discretion’ whether to hold a [Supplemental Draft]” and the decision makes Sorsby ineligible for the 2026 season.
With Sorsby likely having to wait until the 2027 draft for his chance in the NFL, it’s a hidden victory for the Vikings, who can now focus on the quarterbacks in the building as training camp approaches.
Brendan Sorsby won’t be joining the Minnesota Vikings QB competition
With training camp approaching, the Vikings have enough on their plate in the quarterback room. McCarthy is trying to save his job.
Murray is the heavy favorite to take it, but has lamented splitting reps while trying to learn Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer are lurking in the shadows, and yet there was a possibility the Vikings could have added Sorsby in a Supplemental Draft like the 30th entrant in the Royal Rumble.
On talent alone, it would have been a worthy chip. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Sorsby has similar size to O’Connell’s 2024 draft crush Drake Maye (6-foot-4, 225 pounds).
He also has a similar skill set with a big arm that helped him throw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, and enough mobility to run for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
With that, the Vikings could have submitted a bid and added Sorsby as another project for O’Connell to work with. But it also would have turned Minnesota's quarterback competition into a full-blown circus.
Sorsby is in this situation after admitting he placed roughly 9,000 wagers totaling at least $90,000 on professional and collegiate sports during his four-year collegiate career. He also admitted to betting on his own team while a redshirt freshman at Indiana, although he didn’t bet on a game he played in, according to the NCAA’s report.
It appeared that Sorsby was ready to continue his collegiate career at Texas Tech this fall despite the admission after a Texas judge issued an injunction against potential punishment from the NCAA. But amid backlash from programs across the country, Sorsby applied for the Supplemental Draft.
Had the draft taken place and the Vikings placed a winning bid, the cameras that would be at training camp to cover McCarthy and Murray may have increased in size to see how Sorsby was acclimating to the NFL.
While Sorsby spent 10 days in rehab for his addiction, it’s also unnerving to have a player who touches the ball on every offensive snap to have a gambling problem.
This would make talking about kids in a classroom seem like a small nuisance compared to the constant microscope Sorsby would be under. While the Vikings could still pursue him next spring, it was also something this firestorm didn’t need as it begins to approach August.
For now, it’s McCarthy vs. Murray, and Minnesota will have enough of a decision on their hands even with any potential interest in Sorsby shelved until next spring.
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