CFL Closes Its Door on Brendan Sorsby for This Season
The Canadian Football League will not register a contract for the former Texas Tech quarterback, citing the gambling allegations against him and narrowing his football options even further.
The Canadian Football League has told Brendan Sorsby that he will not be allowed to join the league this season, removing one of the few remaining routes the former Texas Tech quarterback had to professional football in 2026. The CFL said it will not register a contract for Sorsby and that no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list, pointing to the gambling allegations that have followed him since the spring. It is the latest setback in a saga that has seen one path after another close. After the NFL declined to hold a supplemental draft for him in late June, the CFL was viewed by some as a possible bridge to the field, but that door is now shut for the year as well.
Why won't the CFL let Brendan Sorsby play this season?
The CFL pointed directly to the gambling allegations rather than to any age, class, or years-out-of-high-school eligibility rule. In a statement, the league said the allegations involving Sorsby are serious and concerning. The CFL added that upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount, and that it will not register a contract for him while no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list. Sorsby has admitted to placing thousands of bets on college and professional sports totaling roughly 90,000 dollars over his college career. Among those wagers were at least 40 bets on Indiana football placed while he was a member of that team. Touchdown Week takes no position on the underlying gambling matter; the facts here reflect the CFL's stated reasoning and Sorsby's own admissions as reported.
How does this fit the broader Sorsby story we have been tracking?
This is now the latest chapter in a months-long sequence of closing doors. Back on May 19 we asked whether Sorsby could enter the NFL supplemental draft at all. On June 16 he formally applied after leaving Texas Tech, and on June 17 his former Cincinnati coach said he expected NFL interest in the quarterback. The picture grew more complicated on June 21 with the Big 12's eligibility lawsuit against Texas Tech. Then on June 24 the NFL declined to hold a supplemental draft, effectively shutting him out of the league for the year. The CFL's decision now narrows his options further, removing a route that had looked like a possible alternative.
What options does Brendan Sorsby have left?
With the NFL and the CFL both closed for 2026, Sorsby's immediate avenues to professional or high-level football are severely limited. The NFL told him to focus on preparing for possible entry through its regular draft in 2027 rather than a supplemental draft this year. His attorney has suggested pursuing the matter through the NFL Players Association, arguing that the league's handling violated terms of the collective bargaining agreement. Beyond those tracks, the practical on-field path that has been floated is the junior college level, after the NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible. For now, his next competitive snap appears more likely to come in 2027 than this season.
Sources
- ESPN: CFL won't allow QB Brendan Sorsby to join league this season
