The Buccaneers do not have an immediate quarterback crisis, but Baker Mayfield’s contract situation gives Tampa Bay a reason to at least study Brendan Sorsby as one of the most intriguing supplemental draft cases in years.
Mayfield remains the face of the Buccaneers’ offense and is coming off another productive season, but his long-term future is not settled. Speaking publicly for the first time this offseason, Mayfield said extension talks with Tampa Bay “are not anywhere close to what we were thinking” and made it clear that he wants something done before training camp begins in late July. Mayfield said that once camp starts, contract discussions will stop and his full focus will shift to football.
That creates an interesting backdrop for Sorsby, the former Cincinnati and Texas Tech quarterback who has applied for the NFL supplemental draft after an NCAA eligibility issue tied to sports betting. Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield told ESPN that every NFL team had already asked about Sorsby, especially earlier in the year when it appeared he might enter the regular NFL draft before transferring to Texas Tech. If every team has done some homework, the Buccaneers have almost certainly gathered information as well.
Sorsby’s talent makes the evaluation worth having. He threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and five interceptions last season while rushing for 580 yards and nine more scores. In 2024, he completed 64% of his passes for 2,813 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, while adding 447 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns. Satterfield described him as a talented quarterback with size, mobility, and passing ability, traits that would normally make him one of the more interesting developmental options in any draft cycle.
The complication is significant. Sorsby was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it discovered he placed more than 9,000 bets totaling at least $90,000 on professional and college sports over four years while enrolled at Indiana, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech. That included at least 40 wagers involving Indiana football when he was a freshman with the Hoosiers in 2022. He has also entered treatment for a gambling addiction, making his evaluation as much about maturity, accountability, support structure, and league scrutiny as it is about arm talent.
For Tampa Bay, the football question is tied to timing. Mayfield is entering the final year of the three-year extension he signed in 2024. His current $100 million deal averages $33.33 million annually, which ranks 16th among quarterbacks, and he wants long-term security after throwing for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 2025 while adding 382 rushing yards and one touchdown. He also expressed excitement about the Buccaneers’ skill-position group, including Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson, and rookie Ted Hurst, reinforcing that he still views Tampa Bay as a place where he can win.
The Buccaneers should still want to resolve Mayfield’s deal if they believe he is their long-term quarterback. He has stabilized the franchise, earned the locker room’s trust, and given Tampa Bay legitimate direction after arriving at a turning point in his career. But quarterback planning often requires teams to think beyond the current starter, especially when extension talks are not close, and the player has set a training camp deadline for negotiations.
Sorsby would not have to arrive as a threat to Mayfield. He could be viewed as a developmental quarterback with physical tools, dual-threat ability, and upside who could sit, learn, and rebuild his reputation without immediate pressure to play. The supplemental draft also gives teams a different kind of opportunity. Selecting Sorsby would cost a corresponding pick in the 2027 NFL draft, so Tampa Bay would have to decide whether his talent is worth sacrificing future draft capital.
That is where the risk becomes real. Sorsby is not a clean prospect, and the gambling concerns are serious. Teams must consider competitive integrity, future availability, and the public reaction to investing in a quarterback whose college career was disrupted by betting violations. The Buccaneers would need to be fully comfortable with their background work before making any bid.
Still, Mayfield’s contract uncertainty makes the Sorsby conversation more relevant in Tampa Bay than it might be for teams with settled long-term quarterback rooms. Due diligence does not mean the Buccaneers will act. It does mean they would be doing their job by studying every possible path for quarterbacks.
Mayfield is still present in Tampa Bay. Sorsby would be a complicated bet on the future. With training camp approaching and Mayfield’s extension talks unresolved, that is enough to make the Buccaneers a logical team to monitor as the supplemental draft process unfolds.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Should Buccaneers be among teams doing homework on QB Brendan Sorsby?
Reporting by Glenn Erby , Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Glenn Erby , Buccaneers Wire | USA TODAY Network
