Brendan Sorsby’s turbulent journey towards the NFL finally appears to have direction after the quarterback reached a settlement with the NFL and NFL Players Association that ends all legal action and formally establishes his eligibility for the 2027 NFL Draft.

The agreement brings to a close weeks of uncertainty following the NFL’s decision not to hold a supplemental draft this summer, closing off the avenue Sorsby had hoped would allow him to begin his professional career immediately after exhausting his NCAA eligibility.

Instead, the former Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech quarterback will sit out the entire 2026 season before entering the traditional build-up process ahead of next spring’s NFL Draft. Under the terms of the agreement, he will be eligible to participate in events such as the Senior Bowl, conduct a pro day and visit NFL teams, but will not be able to sign an NFL contract until at least May 2027..

In a memo distributed to all 32 clubs, the league confirmed that all parties had agreed to draw a line under the dispute.

“We have confirmed with the NFLPA and Brendan Sorsby that there will be no further litigation regarding his entry into the NFL and that, instead, Mr Sorsby will focus on his preparation for entry into the league via the 2027 NFL Draft,” the statement read. “For purposes of league and CBA rules, Mr Sorsby will be considered a ‘Draft-Eligible’ player for the 2027 NFL Draft. Mr Sorsby will not be eligible to sign an NFL Player Contract until the completion of the 2027 NFL Draft.”

The settlement also resolves the question of league discipline. Although the NFL confirmed it will not impose additional punishment for Sorsby’s publicly disclosed gambling activity, it reserved the right to investigate any conduct beyond what has already emerged and to consider his history should any future disciplinary matters arise.

Sorsby accompanied the announcement with his first public statement since the legal battle came to an end, placing his emphasis not on football but on accountability and recovery.

“There has been a lot of news about me out there and I want to share this statement to make sure things are clear,” he said. “I accept 100 percent responsibility for my actions. I did not have control of my gambling problem and it took getting caught for me to realise that, but it was truly the best thing that could’ve happened to me. Because of this, I have been able get the help I need and fully focus on my recovery.

“The news about the supplemental draft changes nothing about my recovery journey. I will continue to take it one day at a time, focusing on making myself better throughout this process and making sure to share what I have learned and will continue to learn with others going forward. I am fully committed to being the best version of myself that I can be while getting ready for the 2027 draft. God makes no mistakes and I look forward to seeing the good that is to come from this.”

The agreement effectively forces Sorsby into a one-year absence from competitive football. After the NFL exercised its right under the collective bargaining agreement not to stage a supplemental draft, the Canadian Football League subsequently ruled he would not be permitted to sign with one of its clubs or even be placed on a team’s negotiation list for the 2026 season.

The settlement hopefully concludes a remarkable sequence of events that began after Sorsby’s transfer to Texas Tech, when his gambling activity came to light. He later entered residential treatment for gambling addiction after admitting to placing at least $90,000 in wagers while at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech, including bets involving his own teams. An initial NCAA ruling declared him ineligible before a temporary court injunction briefly reinstated him, only for Sorsby to abandon that legal challenge in pursuit of the supplemental draft.

Across four collegiate seasons, Sorsby appeared in 35 games, throwing for 7,208 yards, 60 touchdowns and 18 interceptions while adding 1,295 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns — performances which made him one of the more intriguing quarterback prospects outside the conventional draft cycle.