FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan might be breathing a sigh of relief from avoiding a dilemma he would’ve had on his hands in the weeks before training camp.

The NFL declined to hold a supplemental draft this year, which denied Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby from entering the league in the 2026 season. This after he has already gone through an on-again, off-again battle over his eligibility to return to NCAA football due to sports betting violations.

Long story short: Sorsby won’t be playing in the NCAA or NFL in 2026.

Had the league held a supplemental draft solely for Sorsby’s inclusion, which would’ve taken place in mid-July, Sullivan would have had a tough decision to make.

In a supplemental draft, used when prospects lose NCAA eligibility or experience a change in their status after the deadline to declare for the regular late April NFL draft, teams are permitted to place a bid for a player using a draft pick for the following year, with the highest bidder acquiring the prospect. For example, if a team is willing to lose a 2027 third-round pick in order to get Sorsby on their roster now, that would be their bid. It’s a rare occurrence, with the last supplemental draft in 2023 and the last time a player was selected in this setting coming in 2019.

What would Sullivan do in this situation?

On one hand, Sorsby is a significant talent. He has the physical traits for a professional quarterback at 6 feet 3, 235 pounds with a lively arm and ability to make plays on the run. He has a quick release, can throw it deep, throw with accuracy and put velocity behind his passes. What he’s questioned for is his ability to process and make sound decisions, a weakness that can be corrected with proper coaching.

But if Sorsby was in a supplemental draft and Sullivan won a bid for his services, how would that play with the quarterback he signed in March to a three-year $67.5 million deal?

If Sullivan spent the money to bring in Malik Willis to be his starter in 2026, he should at least give him this season before already bringing in a potential replacement, no?

Sullivan has also learned the Green Bay way, after spending two decades there prior to his first crack as a GM in Miami, and the Packers would often select quarterbacks even when they have their franchise player at the position.

But the Dolphins are much better off without having to decide on the potential of Sorsby now. Let Willis and, if need be, Quinn Ewers handle quarterback duties in 2026. See what you have.

Then let Sorsby get thrown into the mix with a loaded QB class: Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, among others.

That’s just the football side. That’s without even getting into the ethical argument of taking a chance on Sorsby.

He’s going through an offseason saga over habitual gambling. He placed more than 9,000 bets totaling at least $90,000 across four years with Indiana and Cincinnati before transferring to Texas Tech, with which he now won’t play a down. While with Indiana, prior to coach Curt Cignetti’s arrival, he placed at least 40 bets on his own team.

None of this sounds like good reason for the NFL to rush, days prior to its deadline to apply for the supplemental draft, to grant it for Sorsby. The league takes gambling seriously. NFL players found wagering on NFL games face a minimum one-year suspension.

And Sullivan is big on establishing a culture early on with his Dolphins roster. Bringing in a player with these kind of off-the-field issues would lie in direct conflict with the idea of filling the locker room with high-character players.

Then there’s the time-consumption aspect of it. Sorsby would’ve held a pro day prior to the supplemental draft. Interested teams would have to do all the background work to determine if Sorsby has put his gambling addiction behind him.

Sullivan’s time over the next month is better spent negotiating with linebacker Jordyn Brooks’ representation to work out his contract extension. That would make him 3 for 3 in locking in Brooks, running back De’Von Achane and center Aaron Brewer in his first offseason as Dolphins GM.

He needs to scour the remaining free agent market for any late signings he could find at several positions of need — edge rusher, defensive back, wide receiver, offensive linemen — prior to training camp.

A supplemental draft involving Sorsby would have put the Dolphins in an awkward position, and fortunately for them, we may never know what their course of action would have been.

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