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    Sorsby will not pursue further litigation vs. NFL

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    Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby will not pursue further litigation against the NFL and instead will focus on his entry in the 2027 NFL Draft.

    The NFL, NFLPA and Sorsby combined to reach a settlement wherein Sorsby resolves any claims on the league not holding a supplemental draft in exchange for being eligible for the 2027 draft with no additional discipline for any prior conduct. That last bit of the sentence is the key part, enabling teams to select him in 2027 without fear of a suspension. (Barring new evidence, of course.) It never made much sense for Sorsby to try to test the NFL given how easy it would have been for the league to retaliate against him. This is probably a pretty decent outcome for him, all things considered. We have no idea where or how he’ll play in 2026 at this point, but he figures to be a risky Day 2 pick if he can’t show improvement on some football field.
PFT Mailbag: Hurts' offense, Browns cap space
Mike Florio opens the mailbag to discuss topics ranging from how Jalen Hurts will approach his offense in 2026, the Cleveland Browns' cap situation, and if an 18-game season will include more bye weeks.

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    The league released a statement saying, “Upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount to the CFL. The allegations involving Brendan Sorsby are serious and concerning. At this time, the CFL will not register a contract for him, and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiations list.” It’s yet another closed door for Sorsby, who learned earlier this week that the NFL was declining to hold a supplemental draft, which would have given teams a chance to select him as he makes his late departure from college to the NFL. While it’s still possible Sorsby sues the league in hopes of having that decision overturned, it seems increasingly likely that he won’t have many suitors at any level for the 2026 football season, meaning he will most likely be setting his sights on prepping for the 2027 NFL Draft.
  • By declining to hold a supplemental draft for Brendan Sorsby, the NFL appears to have ruffled the litigation hornet’s nest. Kessler said that he will “pursue this immediately with the NFLPA.” Where this leads from here, beyond several attorney’s fees, is unknown. The NFL asserted “sole discretion to determine whether it is appropriate to conduct a Supplemental Draft in any given year” in their letter to Sorsby that was leaked earlier today. Well, this’ll give us something to blurb about for the next month or so anyway. It’s worth pointing out that the NFL has not taken kindly to past litigation against it by Brian Flores and that it’s possible that a ruling in favor of Sorsby may not necessarily end with him being drafted.
  • Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby was the only applicant for the supplemental draft and the league decided to punt him to the 2027 NFL Draft, noting in a letter to Sorsby “The issues presented by your Petition are too significant, and too closely tied to the League’s core integrity interests, to permit meaningful review within the timeline presented.” The letter also says that “after receiving notice of the NCAA’s decision rescinding your college eligibility in May, you sought to avoid the consequences of that determination through litigation rather than accepting responsibility for your actions, and you pursued entry into the NFL only after abandoning those efforts.” It doesn’t seem like the NFL was very interested in Brendan Sorsby’s supplemental draft storyline existing, so they simply decided not to let it awaken here. Where this leaves Sorsby this year is up for debate, but seemingly this ends the NFL storyline for the 2026 season barring more litigation.
  • The person is quoted as saying the Jets “don’t want to deal with it.” Sorsby will probably be picked in the NFL’s supplemental draft, but considering how late he’s going to finally walk in the building, it wouldn’t be surprising if it were a team that could afford a redshirt year rather than a team with a legitimate hole at the position like the Jets or Browns. Jets coach Aaron Glenn deflected a question about Sorsby earlier this week, saying that he’s “focused on the guys that we have here now.”
  • Solak is among the NFL analysts identifying the Cardinals as a prime landing spot for Sorsby, who will enter the league’s supplemental draft after forgoing his final collegiate season following a sports betting scandal. The weak-armed Beck, selected by Arizona with the 65th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, would have little chance of holding off Sorsby this season if the Cards bring in Sorsby, who was graded by Pro Football Focus as the eighth best passer in the nation last year. In Arizona, the dual-threat Sorsby — he had 18 rushing touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons — would have a real chance at fantasy relevance unless the Cardinals are intent on wasting an entire season with Jacoby Brissett under center.
  • Yates said Sorsby might have been taken as a top-10 draft pick in 2027 had he remained at Texas Tech this season instead of entering the NFL’s supplemental draft following his sports betting scandal. Yates mentioned the Jets, Cardinals, and Brown as potential suitors for Sorsby, though Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported on Tuesday that the Browns were “unlikely” to pursue Sorsby in the supplemental draft. Yates, who complimented Sorsby’s running ability and “moxy,” predicted Sorsby would be selected in the second round of the supplemental draft. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler recently guessed a team would part ways with a Day Three pick to land Sorsby. Sorsby in 2025 ranked eighth in PFF’s passing grades while posting the nation’s second lowest pressure to sack ratio. He ranked 106th in adjusted completion rate.
  • “With improvements in those areas as a senior in college, teams expected him to be in the first-round conversation in the 2027 draft class. But the gambling cloud hanging over his draft projection makes this an unprecedented situation. Is there enough time before July’s supplemental draft for teams to fully understand his recovery and mindset?” Brugler adds. Brugler’s been in the draft game for a long time and has a lot of sources, so we believe this carries some weight even if it wouldn’t be wildly surprising to see Sorsby selected in the second or third round of the supplemental draft. It’s clear that Sorsby has the tools to play in the NFL and also clear that gambling is a line that many franchises will refuse to cross, but it only takes one.
  • Most of the league-wide scuttlebutt on Sorsby as coaches get in front of microphones for the first time since it was announced he’ll try the supplemental draft has been negative or tepid. Todd Monken told reporters earlier in June that “I don’t think we’re in a position to want to go down that road,” when asked about Sorsby. Today, Aaron Glenn pretended he didn’t know what gambling was and Brian Schottenheimer said he has no opinion on Sorsby. We’ll see where he ends up, but it sure doesn’t look like it will be Cleveland.
  • Sorsby has been the subject of numerous legal battles within the NCAA ranks amidst a betting scandal this offseason. It appears as if he has decided to move on from the cyclone he created in favor of trying his hand at the professional level. The NFL will need to approve his eligibility first and foremost before a supplemental draft would be held, during which teams would submit blind bids for any approved players. That number would stand at one, if Sorsby is approved, but it provides an interesting wrinkle to an otherwise lackluster quarterback draft class in an offseason with no shortage of quarterback-needy teams. Widely considered a surefire first-round pick, and potentially the No. 1 overall pick, Sorsby should drum up significant interest in the coming month if he gains eligibility. Teams would bid on Sorsby with associated draft picks in the coming draft, sorted by round. A winning team would then forfeit that round’s pick in the following draft.

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    New Orleans Football’s Nick Underhill believes RB Travis Etienne is “the X-factor” of the Saints’ 2026 season.

    What does this mean for fantasy purposes? In short, it means he thinks the Saints are going to feature Etienne as an offensive focal point. Underhill believes the Saints are entering a “post-Alvin Kamara world,” although he acknowledges that Kamara may stick around for one more season. That said, Underhill thinks Etienne will operate as a “full-volume starter” and describes him as a “three-down player.” If Kamara does play for the Saints this season, Underhill does not think Kamara’s presence “changes the outcome significantly” for Etienne’s touch count. Toward the end of the segment, Underhill projects Etienne for 235 carries, 1,050 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 42 catches, 330 receiving yards and 3-4 receiving touchdowns. Splitting the difference on the receiving touchdowns brings the total to 231.5 PPR points, which would have made him the RB15 last season. Treating him as a high-end RB2 with RB1 upside makes sense.
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    The Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski reports the Eagles TE Dallas Goedert and TE Johnny Mundt “are clearly ahead” of rookie TE Eli Stowers on the depth chart.

    Kempski believes Mundt’s blocking ability keeps him in the TE2 spot for now. He also notes that “Stowers was quiet during spring practices, and even seemed limited in practice due to an injury,” sporting a sleeve on one leg. Missing spring practice reps would certainly slow down a rookie’s development. Regardless, if Stowers is going to show up in the box score, he will likely do so late in the 2026 season. For now, treat him as a worthwhile best ball TE3, and a name to know for late-season waiver wire purposes in re-draft.
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    Speaking on the Kaboly And Mack podcast, Chris Mack said there is a “belief” that Steelers CB Joey Porter is seeking an extension averaging $30 million per year.

    Porter, 25, is eligible for an extension this offseason, with one year remaining on his rookie contract. Roughly one month ago, a report indicated that Porter would make “around $22 million to $27 million per year” on a new deal. If Porter is hoping to significantly surpass those numbers, a delay in negotiations makes sense. The Steelers’ $3.192 million in salary cap space ranks dead last this season. Unfortunately, they only have $6.6 million in salary cap space next season. Porter made the 2023 PFWA All-Rookie Team and has racked up 21 pass breakups over the past three seasons.
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    Speaking on the Kaboly And Mack podcast, Mark Kaboly said Steelers DL Keeanu Benton could be “the odd man out” for an extension this summer.

    Kaboly and his co-host, Chris Mack, were wondering aloud why the Steelers have not yet signed CB Joey Porter to an extension this offseason when the conversation shifted to Benton. Both Kaboly and Mack were seemingly of the opinion that signing Benton, 24, to an extension does not appear to be a priority for the front office. Since joining the Steelers as a 2023 second-round pick, Benton ranks fifth on the team in sacks (nine) and quarterback pressures (75), 10th in solo tackles (82) and ties for sixth in TFLs (13). He is a capable defender, who should stick around in the league, but he may not earn a lucrative extension from team that drafted.
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    The Athletic’s Sam Warren reports Kirk Cousins “took all of the first-team reps in offseason practices.”

    Cousins continues to be positioned for the Week 1 start. The 37-year-old vet isn’t expected to remain the starter for the entirety of the season, but naming him the starter will give No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who is still working on his footwork and playing more from under center, time to develop. While it’s long been assumed that Cousins would emerge from camp as the team’s starter, the fact that he’s reportedly taken every first-team rep thus far in the offseason suggests there’s little room for Mendoza to make an inroad for the QB1 job before the start of camp. We’ll see if this changes once training camp kicks off at the end of the month, but it sounds like Cousins has a firm grip on the starting job as of now.
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    The California Post’s Vincent Bonsignore reports that the 49ers’ 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and EDGE Mykel Williams form the “framework for a suitable offer” in a potential trade for Raiders EDGE Maxx Crosby.

    Multiple league sources tell Bonsignore that the Raiders would revisit the idea of trading Crosby away “if the right offer was made.” According to Bonsignore’s sources, the 49ers could make a play for him if they so desire. The Raiders nearly traded Crosby to the Ravens earlier this offseason, but the Ravens cancelled the deal due to concerns over a “degenerative issue” in his knee. Per Bonsignore, if Crosby “returns to terrorizing Raiders’ practices during training camp, he’ll put all concerns to rest,” and “the Raiders will be flooded with calls from interested teams.” The 49ers hope to make a Super Bowl run this season. Adding Crosby to their pass rush makes sense. Williams, the 49ers’ EDGE in reference, is currently recovering from a torn ACL and it is unclear whether he will be able to play in Week 1. At 22 years old, he is more of a long-term option anyway, and the Raiders are currently rebuilding. This framework is interesting and could work well for both sides. Stay tuned.
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    ESPN’s Kris Rhim reports that when Chargers QB Justin Herbert threw in team drills during mandatory minicamp practices, “the results were uneven.”

    New Chargers OC Mike McDaniel reduced Herbert’s throwing frequency in spring practices in an effort to keep Herbert’s arm fresh later in the season. Herbert is instead focused on adjusting his shotgun footwork according to McDaniel’s unorthodox, yet often successful preferences. According to Rhim, this led to Herbert and his receivers frequently being “just out of sync on timing” in team drills. That said, Rhim believes that this is " an expected part of implementing a new offense but something that will need to improve during training camp.” We agree. This is not overly concerning, but it will be worthwhile to follow up on Herbert’s connection with his pass catchers.
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    The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo believes TE Pat Freiermuth will be the Steelers’ “go-to pass-catching tight end” this season.

    The Steelers notably signed TE Darnell Washington to a four-year, $42 million contract extension this offseason, but DeFabo believes Freiermuth is still the team’s TE1. He expects Washington to continue operating as a receiving threat, “especially in the red zone,” but he is apparently stuck in the TE2 role. Washington’s profile is certainly more intriguing, but he may be best viewed as a boom-bust backup option in best ball for now.
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    The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reports that he has Steelers RB/WR Eli Heidenreich “penciled in for the practice squad.”

    DeFabo wonders whether Steelers coach Mike McCarthy will be “willing to open up the playbook for Heidenreich and how does the rookie fare in pass protection?” If McCarthy is willing to design plays for Heidenreich, and the youngster can be trusted to keep QB Aaron Rodgers safe from oncoming pass rushers, it is possible he earns a spot on the game-day roster. If not, he may need to spend 2026 refining his skill set while RB Jaylen Warren works on becoming Rodgers’ “new check-down favorite.” That said, DeFabo adds that “an injury or a surprising training camp performance could change things positively for Heidenreich. Keep an eye on him, but temper expectations.
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    Bleacher Report’s James Palmer believes that if a starting quarterback gets injured in training camp or in the regular season, 49ers QB Mac Jones would be the team’s top trade target.

    This is admittedly speculation, not breaking news, but the idea certainly makes sense. Palmer also believes that the 49ers could “probably” get the other team to “overpay a little bit.” Again, this tracks, especially if a playoff contender wants to keep their season alive. Palmer thinks Jones is also already aware of this being a potential scenario. That said, the 49ers added $300,000 in incentives to the final year of Jones’ contract, which happens to be this upcoming season. They wanted to keep him happy after how well he handled spot starts for QB Brock Purdy in 2025, and they could always choose to keep him in-house, given his reliability.