The news of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby applying for the NFL Supplemental Draft has thrown a new wrinkle into the offseason. With a potential first-round talent at quarterback available, teams must assess the value and decide what price, if any, they are willing to bid for Sorsby.
Even with an already crowded quarterback room, the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a clear answer for the future at the position, which will inevitably lead many to speculate that they could have interest in Sorsby. That includes Albert Breer, who thinks the Steelers might be willing to give up significant value in return for Sorsby.
“I think Brendan Sorsby is probably going to be a second-round pick. I don’t know if anybody would throw a first-round flier on him,” Breer said on Sports Illustrated’s YouTube channel. “The one team that kind of sticks out to me that might think about it would be the Pittsburgh Steelers, just because they may view it as we’re going to have a late first-round pick. We’re not going to have the resources to replace Aaron Rodgers next year.”
Breer’s logic is that the Steelers view themselves as contenders this season, so their first-round draft selection won’t be as high as other quarterback-needy teams that may be unwilling to part with a 2027 first round pick in the top-10 range. If Pittsburgh’s plan is to replace Rodgers with a pick in next year’s draft, the Sorsby situation might present them with an opportunity they might not otherwise have.
The reason that Sorsby would be available is because of the baggage surrounding his gambling scandal and the questions that accompany such a story. Questions about whether Sorsby will face any sort of NFL discipline for his gambling violations still need to be answered.
Generally speaking, the Steelers have stayed away from players with off-the-field concerns, but at the game’s most important position, maybe the value will be too much to overlook.
Another reason to cast doubt on the Steelers’ potential interest in Sorsby is the young quarterbacks already on their roster. This offseason, they have already taken a big swing at the position, drafting Drew Allar in the third round. They also must figure out what they have in Will Howard. Enough has been made about trying to develop two young quarterbacks, that adding a third seems somewhat farfetched.
There are plenty of reasons to believe the drama surrounding Sorsby make selecting him not worth it, but it only takes one team to believe in him.
If the Steelers believe Sorsby has the potential to be the answer at quarterback, they have a unique chance to draft a talent that they likely won’t have in next year’s draft, barring a massive trade up or a disastrous season.