Steelers Are Now Seen As An Obvious Candidate To Pursue Brendan Sorsby

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for a long-term answer at quarterback for years. Once Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2022, the team opted to select former Pitt Panthers signal-caller Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickett failed to meet expectations, and the team moved on after just two seasons. Since then, they have stuck with temporary solutions, starting Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and now Aaron Rodgers. With Rodgers re-signing with the franchise, they'll at least have a repeat Week 1 starter for the first time since the 2020-2021 seasons, but still no clear long-term answer. 

The consensus is that the Steelers are gearing up to make a big trade during the 2027 NFL Draft, with a supposedly loaded quarterback class. With plenty of big names coming out then, one has been getting a lot of attention lately for all the wrong reasons. Brendan Sorsby was recently caught gambling illegally and was originally just suspended for the first two games of the college football season. Sorsby then decided to instead declare for the NFL's Supplemental Draft, an event that is not held often, but is used when a prospect gets into conflict at school and must declare unexpectedly. Teams must bid on Sorsby, and what the Steelers are willing to give up, if anything at all, is still unclear. 

It's been recently reported that they are doing their homework on Sorsby, despite already having Will Howard and Drew Allar. With Howard and Allar likely to be fighting for the starting job in 2027, it could make sense for the Steelers to also submit a bid for Sorsby. ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently appeared on an episode of Football 301, where they talked about the Sorsby sweepstakes. Barnwell lists a litany of teams, but believes the Steelers are the most obvious team to play for. With the organization in dire need of a franchise quarterback and seemingly never being bad enough to get a top draft choice, now may be the perfect time for them to make their pick. 

"But the one that seems the most obvious to me is the Steelers, where, yeah, given that they're not going to put themselves in position to take a quarterback in the first half of the first round until they have no choice but to do so," Barnwell stated. "Given that there's not really a path to them getting a quarterback. I understand they took Drew Allar, they took Will Howard. There's nothing wrong with, like, saying we're taking a bunch of singles. We're going to try to hit, we're going to try and hit a homerun without swinging off the fences." 

Sorsby previously had a really nice season for the Cincinnati Bearcats, throwing for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns, to just five interceptions. He also ran for 580 yards and nine touchdowns. He displays elite arm strength and is a serious dual-threat, but his off-the-field antics will certainly scare teams away. 

The Supplemental Draft doesn't have an official date yet, but it cannot take place later than July 16, meaning Sorsby could be on a team for training camp. 

Steelers Should Throw A Bid For Sorsby

Obviously, bringing in Sorsby is a huge risk for any NFL franchise, but there is no denying his value as a prospect. He has some things to work on, like his accuracy can be inconsistent at times. But he would easily be the Steelers' best prospect at QB and a potential long-term solution at the position.

With the draft being set up in three different tiers, the Steelers may not even get a shot at Sorsby. The franchise should not break the bank for the prospect, but if they can throw in a second- or third-round pick, that would be a reasonable risk. 

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