If the last few years have taught us anything about the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s that the regular season will be chock-full of drama.
That means, if at all possible, the Eagles want to keep those distractions to a minimum.
The NFL helped the Eagles out in a big way by deciding not to hold a supplemental draft in July for disgraced Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, a projected 1st round pick, and bailing the Eagles out on what would have been several weeks of unwanted headlines at the most inopportune time — right before training camp.
According to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Jason La Canfora, the Eagles were ready to use a 2nd round pick on Sorsby if the supplemental draft had been held.
With starting quarterback Jalen Hurts coming off a season in which he seemed incapable of leading a dynamic NFL offense, the decision about Sorsby seemed like 1 the Eagles actually needed to address.
“One GM told me if college QB Brendan Sorsby would have entered the supplemental draft he thinks the Eagles would have taken him in the second round,” La Canfora wrote. “Jalen Hurts has no guaranteed money beyond this season, and the Eagles are always looking to upgrade. Even a past Super Bowl MVP might not be enough unless Hurts steps up his game.”
Brendan Sorsby Scandal Dominates Offseason
Sorsby was already projected as a potential 1st-round pick in 2027 after spending his 1st 4 seasons at Indiana and Cincinnati before leaving for a reported 1-year, $6 million NIL deal with Texas Tech for 2026.
The Red Raiders are coming off their 1st conference championship since 1994 and 1st College Football Playoff appearance in 2025.
“Quarterback Brendan Sorsby will not play in the NFL in 2026, as the league has elected not to hold a supplemental draft,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Adam Schefter wrote on June 23. “The NFL’s decision came down to its right to decide whether to hold a supplemental draft, per the collective bargaining agreement, as league officials said they believed it would ultimately become a distraction to teams as they begin training camps … Sorsby admitted to betting thousands of times on college and pro sports, bets that totaled upward of $90,000 and included 40 wagers on Indiana football while he was on the team.”
The NCAA banned Sorsby for gambling, but Texas Tech went to court to get their star back on the field, and a Texas district court judge granted him a temporary injunction on June 8. That would have allowed Sorsby to play in 2026.
After several days of across-the-board condemnation, including several schools mulling boycotts of games against Texas Tech, Sorsby left the school and declared his intention to enter the supplemental draft.
Eagles Have Thrown Support Behind Jalen Hurts
No NFL quarterback has been more maligned this offseason than Hurts — mostly thanks to a hit piece from ESPN filled with anonymous team sources within the Eagles organization.
The internal strife around Hurts — and his inability to lead a high-octane offense — is also what led the Eagles to make one of the NFL’s biggest offseason trades, sending disgruntled 3-time NFL All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2028 1st-round pick.
Eagles Have Potential QB Dilemma Solved by NFL Ruling