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Former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby reacting ahead of a college football game against Utah.

One of the most interesting offseason storylines is the football future of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby.

Sorsby could lose his collegiate eligibility due to some alleged gambling issues. If he does, there is a path for him to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft. If he applied and was approved, NFL teams would have the opportunity to participate in a blind bid to win his rights.

Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic explained why the Pittsburgh Steelers would pose the biggest threat to the New York Jets in their potential attempt to land him.

“What teams would be willing to bid on him? Like, there’s a bunch that need quarterbacks, but not a lot of them have multiple draft picks early next year. Would the Steelers bid a first-round pick on him? I don’t know, that’s an interesting one. Would the Cardinals [or] the Browns?” Rosenblatt asked on “Jets Final Drive.”

“The Steelers would be the biggest threat to me, honestly, because they don’t have a long-term solution on their roster. Would they give up a first or a second to get Brendan Sorsby? That would be the one that I have my eye on out of other potential teams that could steal him,” Rosenblatt added.

The Uniqueness of the Supplemental Draft

You don’t know what the other teams are bidding. If you’re an NFL team, you don’t want to overpay for Sorsby. Ideally, you want to acquire that player at the cheapest possible cost.

If you’re a contending team, you might be willing to give up a higher pick because you project yourself to pick lower in the round.

For example, the Steelers haven’t had a losing season since 2003. In other words, Pittsburgh is consistently picking in the middle of the first round or worse. That doesn’t often put the team in a position to select a player high in the draft.

In theory, Pittsburgh might be more willing to give up a first-round pick than other teams. If things played out like normal, the Steelers probably wouldn’t have a chance to draft Sorsby.

The Pro Football Focus 2027 big board projects Sorsby as a first-round pick in next year’s draft. If he has a good 2026 college football season, Sorsby could be in the No. 1 overall pick conversation, PFF’s pre-draft profile states.

Explaining Only Way Steelers Can Steal Sorsby From Jets

The 32 teams in the NFL are split into three different categories for the supplemental draft:

• Teams with six or fewer wins
• Non-playoff teams
• Playoff teams

There is a hierarchy to this grouping. If teams from each of these categories submitted the same blind bid, for example, a third-round pick, the team with six or fewer wins would automatically win that player.

In other words, if the Steelers and Jets bid the same thing, New York would win. However, if Pittsburgh bids a second-rounder and the Jets bid a third-rounder, the Steelers would win the player.

So if the Steelers are willing to bid a first-round pick, it seems hard to believe the Jets would reach that same level of commitment.