Sports

Brendan Sorsby Isn't First Player to Enter the NFL With Red Flags

By Andrew Perloff Athlon Sports

Updated June 19, 2026 8:09 AM

Brendan Sorsby may seem radioactive right now. According to court documents, the former Indiana and Cincinnati quarterback who transferred to Texas Tech after last season made thousands of bets in college, and now he's headed to the NFL supplemental draft. But Sorsby is only 22. The NFL has a long history of players who have overcome serious issues and had outstanding careers.

"Character concerns" is a broad term for draft prospects. Sometimes violations are minor, like failed marijuana tests, and sometimes they are related to more serious incidents involving violence. But certain teams are less concerned with what happens off the field. Bill Belichick was willing to overlook college issues when building the New England Patriots' dynasty. Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has always been comfortable giving players a second chance.

While the morality of Sorsby's actions can be debated, most teams have a more coldhearted viewpoint. Can Sorsby help win games? His agent Ron Slavin told a Dallas radio station that 26 teams reached out about his client. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds Sorsby threw 27 TDs and 5 INTs last season and teams are going to dive deep into his tape over the next few weeks.

Sorsby broke one of the cardinal rules of sports, betting on his own team. For the NFL, however, there is a more advanced calculus on evaluating players. Sometimes players grow up and turn their lives around. Sometimes they behave for just a few years but the team benefits in the short term. But dismissing any player because of what he did in college is a substantial risk because other teams will take advantage.

Before dismissing Sorsby as toxic, look back at some of the players who were once thought to be too risky. Not to condone the terrible behavior in some of these cases, but they made executives and coaches a lot of money. I built my "All Red Flag" roster solely based on production:

Offense

Quarterback

Dan Marino: While there were no arrests or failed drug tests, character concerns are part of the myth of why Dan Marino fell to No. 27 in the famous 1983 NFL Draft. Frankly, that's the only explanation for why he would be the sixth quarterback taken. The Dolphins' willingness to disregard rumors about Marino partying too much at Pittsburgh paid off. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott would fit this team as well after he fell to the fourth round, in part because of a DUI arrest during the pre-draft process.

Wide receiver

Randy Moss: Moss had legal issues in high school and was kicked out of Florida State. But Vikings head coach Dennis Green coached Randy's brother and had a veteran team he thought could help Moss. "He's still only a 21-year-old man," Green said at the 1998 draft. "His life is ahead of him." The Vikings took Moss at No. 21 overall and he set the all-time rookie record with 17 touchdowns.

Dez Bryant: On talent alone, Bryant would have been a top-5 pick in 2010. He had been suspended for his entire junior season for violating NCAA rules (not disclosing his relationship with NFL player Deion Sanders). The Dallas Cowboys traded up from No. 27 to No. 24 in the draft to take Bryant. He made three Pro Bowls and is the franchise's all-time leader in touchdown catches.

Tyreek Hill: Hill pleaded guilty to domestic assault and was kicked out of Oklahoma State. After a year at the University of West Alabama, Hill was drafted by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. He is an eight-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion.

Running back

Arian Foster: Foster was disciplined at Tennessee for a bar fight and there were reports that he had an attitude problem. And he struggled on the field his senior year. But it's amazing a back with that kind of talent could go undrafted in 2009. Foster went on to become a four-time Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans.

Offensive line

Richie Incognito: Incognito was kicked off the team at Nebraska and Tony Dungy said he was on his "do not draft because of character" list. The Rams took him in the third round of the 2005 draft and he went on to have a productive career with four Pro Bowl trips. He eventually ran into trouble with the infamous bullying case with the Dolphins in 2013, but Incognito still played until 2020.

Laremy Tunsil: The Ole Miss left tackle was in play to be a top-3 pick in 2016 until his Twitter account aired a video of him smoking pot out of a gas mask 10 minutes before the draft. With little time to decide what it all meant, teams passed on Tunsil until Miami at No. 13. Tunsil, now 31, has made five Pro Bowls so far.

La'el Collins: A surefire first-round pick fell after he was sought for questioning in the murder of a pregnant woman in Louisiana. He was not a suspect, but the negative story tanked his draft stock. Collins went undrafted in 2015 and signed with the Cowboys. Collins was a productive contributor to Dallas' elite offensive line.

Mike Wahle: Wahle tested positive for steroids at Navy and had to enter the supplemental draft. The Packers used a second-round pick on him in '98 and he went on to be a solid starter for them for seven years.

Taylor Lewan: Lewan was involved in a fight while at Michigan and was accused of hitting an Ohio State fan. He later pleaded guilty to drunk and disorderly conduct. The Tennessee Titans selected him at No. 11 overall and he reached three Pro Bowls.

Tight end

Travis Kelce: The future Hall of Famer was suspended during his sophomore year at Cincinnati after failing multiple drug tests. Chiefs coach Andy Reid knew Kelce's brother, Jason, from Philadelphia and was willing to take a risk other teams avoided. Kansas City selected Kelce in the third round of the '13 Draft, and the move proved to be a major success. Kelce's career production earns him the spot over fourth-round pick Aaron Hernandez.

Defense

Defensive line

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp celebrates after the victory against the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII at Qualcomm Stadium. (Credit: MPS-US PRESSWIRE)

Warren Sapp: ESPN and the New York Times reported that Sapp failed tests for marijuana and cocaine before the '95 Draft. Sapp and his team denied the reports. The Miami Hurricane star didn't fall too far - No. 12 to Tampa Bay - but he would have gone even higher. Sapp became the anchor of the Bucs' Super Bowl defense and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in '13.

Jalen Carter: Carter was involved in a fatal car accident after Georgia won the national title in '23 and pleaded guilty to reckless driving. He easily could have gone as high as No. 2 but fell to the Eagles at No. 9. Carter was a huge part of Philadelphia's 2024 Super Bowl run and is considered one of the most disruptive defensive players in the league.

Frank Clark: Michigan released Clark after a domestic violence arrest and he fell out of the first round despite clear talent. The Seahawks took him in the second round of the '15 draft and he went on to have two double-digit sack seasons in Seattle and helped the Chiefs win two Super Bowls.

Luis Castillo: Castillo sent a letter to all 32 teams before the draft acknowledging his PED use to help recover from an elbow injury. The Chargers took the former Northwestern star at No. 28 in the first round of the '05 Draft and he had six productive seasons before injuries ended his career.

Linebacker

Justin Houston: Another likely first-rounder who fell for reportedly failing a drug test at the combine. The Chiefs took him in the third round and he went on to reach four Pro Bowls and end his career with 112 sacks.

Vontaze Burfict: The Arizona State linebacker also reportedly failed a drug test at the combine and his on-field play always verged on reckless. He signed with Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent. Although Burfict was often disciplined for big hits, he was a key part of a Bengals team that became a consistent playoff contender.

Micah Parsons: The former Penn State star was involved in a hazing incident in college and later admitted he made mistakes when he was just 18. He didn't fall far - No. 12 to the Cowboys in '21 - but he could have gone even higher on talent alone. Parsons, now a Packer, was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and is already a four-time All-Pro.

Defensive back

Tyrann Mathieu Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Tyran Mathieu: The Honey Badger was kicked off the LSU team for reportedly failing drug tests and was arrested for marijuana possession. He fell to the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the '13 draft and went on to become a three-time All-Pro and a team leader in Arizona, Houston, K.C. and New Orleans.

Janoris Jenkins: Jenkins was dismissed from Florida for drug-related issues and finished his college career at North Alabama. The Rams took him in the second round of the 2012 draft and he had three interception returns for TDs as a rookie. While he bounced around a bit, Jenkins had a productive career.

Aqib Talib: Talib reportedly failed drug tests at Kansas and was suspended for two games for disciplinary reasons. The Bucs took Talib at No. 20 in the '08 draft and he went on to reach five Pro Bowls.

Marcus Peters: Peters was dismissed from the Washington Huskies for disciplinary reasons and some teams took him off their draft boards. He was a bargain for the Chiefs at No. 18 in the '15 draft and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He went on to be named to the All-Pro team four times.

This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 8:00 AM.