Monday night, the NFL world received some big news, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have an opportunity to be front and center for it all.
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby will be entering the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft after a drawn-out legal process over his off-field gambling issues.
Now, the Steelers have a chance to take their shot on Sorsby and get themselves a franchise quarterback. It's that simple.
Real quick, if you want to read up on the gambling concerns, that's a story for another day. He wasn't betting on his own team, but he was betting a lot elsewhere.
Assuming he gets the help he needs and can put those issues behind him, Sorsby is a top-tier NFL prospect. But, instead of playing another year with the Red Raiders, he goes into a spot we don't see very often. The Supplemental Draft isn't even always held, because teams that want to draft a player in a given round must forfeit that same round's pick the following year.
To put it plainly: if the Steelers wanted to select Sorsby in the second round of the Supplemental Draft, they'd forfeit their 2027 second-rounder.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a chance to land their franchise quarterback in Brendan Sorsby
Sure, this is quite different in terms of a draft situation. Sorsby doesn't get the typical spotlight on him in a talent-loaded green room with millions watching on television.
There isn't a dramatic lead-up from analysts, pundits, and writers based on Sorsby being a potential Rodgers heir. Of course, this dramatic lead-up would have to include allusions to the past with Rodgers, and both Brett Favre and Jordan Love.
But even without the dramatic lead-up of Sorsby declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft and the entire pre-draft process hyping up his stock, the level of opportunity here is still the same.
Sorsby would have been a sure bet to go in the first round. He would have been a sure bet to get drafted ahead of Ty Simpson. Last season with Texas Tech, Sorsby threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just five picks. He's also rushed for over 1,000 yards and 18 touchdowns in his last two seasons combined.
So, in a roundabout way, you could say the Steelers now have a chance to land a quarterback that would've been a top-10 pick in this year's draft...
...in July!
So, with a loaded 2027 quarterback class, what are the Steelers to do here? Do they throw caution to the wind and bid as high as a second-round pick for Sorsby? Or, do they hold off and wait until next year's draft class comes out?
If they were to end up with Sorsby, of course, he'd be able to sit and learn from Rodgers this year. That'd be a huge boost in development he wouldn't be able to get anywhere else. There aren't any other quarterback-needy teams that have an Aaron Rodgers on their roster to be able to lean on.
You might argue that this is a can't-miss opportunity for the Steelers. Talent-wise, Sorsby is a franchise quarterback in the making. Giving him a year with Rodgers and allowing him to not be rushed would be big.
If the Steelers waited until 2027, who is to say where they'll end up picking in the first round? If Rodgers plays good enough, maybe they end up with a pick between 18-25. But that's not going to be anywhere close to where the Steelers need to be in order to land a franchise guy.
Some Steelers fans might almost be secretly hoping the team is just plain bad, whether it's Rodgers' play taking a dive, the defense not adding up, or a combination of a few different aspects. At that point, Pittsburgh finishing with a top-10 draft pick would actually be a positive.
We know the Steelers aren't in a great place to land a top 2027 quarterback, so ... why not take the chance on Sorsby?
Let him sit this year, learn from Rodgers and McCarthy, and by next year, Pittsburgh is ready to unleash their young, franchise quarterback they've long-awaited.
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