Any team that doesn’t have a year-to-year franchise quarterback should be taking a close look at Brendan Sorsby. The Jets, who haven’t had a true year-to-year franchise quarterback since Joe Namath, are one of those teams.
Rich Cimini of ESPN has taken a look at whether the Jets will try to make a play for Sorsby.
Cimini’s article includes this comment: “One person close to the situation doubted the Jets’ interest, suggesting ‘they don’t want to deal with it.’”
The Jets shouldn’t dismiss Sorsby as some sort of burden. They should do a full evaluation of Sorsby, given the possibility that he’ll become the guy.
That means evaluating the player, understanding the situation that led to the forfeiture of his NCAA eligibility, and making an assessment as to the likelihood of a relapse.
The potential reward is too great not to put in the work. And it would be fitting, given the many swings and misses the Jets have made while looking for a franchise quarterback (Geno Smith, Christian Hackenberg, Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson), for them to tap out of an opportunity to finally get the quarterback they’ve been coveting — literally for decades.
Cimini’s article also includes this question from an unnamed evaluator: “If he’s a clear-cut first-rounder, why didn’t he come out [in the April draft]?”
The answer should be obvious. The difference between being a generic first-round pick and one of the top selections in the draft is massive. In 2025, the first player taken in the first round (Titans quarterback Cam Ward) signed a $48 million contract. The last player taken in round one (Chiefs tackle Josh Simmons) signed a $14 million contract.
For Sorsby, another year of football would have meant getting paid something in the range of $4 million to $6 million for 2026 and having an opportunity to emerge from the college football season as next year’s Fernando Mendoza.
At this point, why Sorsby didn’t enter the April draft doesn’t matter. He’ll be in the supplemental draft (assuming his application is formally accepted), and the possibility that he’ll become a franchise quarterback makes it worth the time and effort for anyone without a franchise quarterback to fully explore his talents and troubles, and to make the best possible projection as to his pro potential.
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