Texas Tech, QB Brendan Sorsby Appeal NCAA Decision
As expected, following the NCAA’s denial of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby‘s reinstatement for the 2026 college football season, Sorsby’s team has filed an appeal. The team’s argument (via Ross Dellenger fo Yahoo Sports) leaned heavily on the framing of Sorbsy’s gambling problem as an issue of mental health and asked that, in lieu of the revocation of his remaining eligibility, the NCAA consider a two-game suspension.
In it’s denial, the NCAA stated that it “did not find any circumstances that warranted reinstating (Sorsby’s) eligibility.” By citing the specifics of Sorsby’s diagnosis and transgressions, the appeal attempts to paint the situation as one without precedent. In doing so, the team argues that the NCAA wouldn’t be following the precedent set by past players who have gambled and been caught; instead, it would be setting a new precedent for punishing a player who admitted to and sought treatment for his mental health disorder.
The team’s appeal obviously argues that Sorsby struggles from a gambling addiction, the mental health challenge that perpetuated his continuous activity, but the first instances of betting could not have been a result of a developed addiction, so they’ve framed that, too, within the scope of mental health.
As a report today from ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and David Purdum detailed at least 2,900 bets at Indiana, alone, totaling more than $30K in wagers, including at least 40 bets on the Indiana football team and its players, Sorsby’s physician asserted that the quarterback’s first bets were the result of “an adjustment disorder with anxiety that caused him to place those bets to feel part of the team.”
That assertion seems to be coming from pretty far out of left field, but if they can successfully establish the ordeal as a result of Sorsby’s struggles with mental health, it will be difficult for the NCAA to continue denying his reinstatement. The team’s appeal cites the NCAA’s own mission statement, grabbing snippets such as “fostering (student-athletes’) lifelong well-being” and promoting “a culture of care.”
The appeal attempts to shift the focus of the punishment away from Sorsby’s transgressions and towards his ultimate decision to seek treatment. The appeal states that “imposing a career-ending sanction on Sorsby will send the message to current and future athletes hiding in the shadows of the stigma of mental health challenges and addiction that they need to stay silent and never seek help or treatment because the NCAA will take a punitive approach by automatically applying the maximum sanction.” By instead imposing only a two-game suspension, the appeal argues that the NCAA would “be sending an important signal to current and future student-athletes that seeking treatment for an addiction does not have to mean ruining your future.”
The release of the appeal and the documents detailing just how far Sorsby’s gambling went on the same day set up a battle of perception. The 40 bets he placed on his own team only totaled around $850, ranging from $1 to $114, but that represents only a microcosm of his habits. Utilizing “accounts registered in his name, a family member’s name, and friends’ names, Sorsby placed at least $90K in impermissible wagers” through four separate betting sites. He reportedly had to transfer up to $60K to friends in order “to cover bets made on his behalf.”
If Sorsby’s team is successful in convincing the NCAA to view the entirety of Sorsby’s gambling history as actions stemming from struggles with mental health, he stands a strong chance of getting to play out his tenure with the Red Raiders. To this point, though, the NCAA has been adamant that it will not negotiate a settlement to reinstate Sorsby. It will be interesting to see if the team’s mental health appeals successfully scare the NCAA away from its current conviction. Will it see a maximum sanction as disincentivizing future student-athletes from gambling or disincentivizing future student-athletes “from seeking the help they desperately need?”
NFL Interest In Marcus Freeman To Continue
For two years now, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has been a major name of interest for NFL teams looking to hire a new head coach. He saw early NFL interest two years ago but, ultimately, signed an extension to stay with the Fighting Irish. According to Jason La Canfora on SportsBoom, Freeman has not slammed the door shut on an NFL future.
Freeman rose quickly through the collegiate coaching ranks, starting as a graduate assistant at his alma mater a year after getting drafted out of Ohio State in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He landed his first position coaching job the next year as the Kent State linebackers coach and found his way to the Power 5 two years later in the same position at Purdue. In his fourth season with the Boilermakers, Freeman was promoted to co-defensive coordinator, and a year later, he got his first full defensive coordinator role at Cincinnati.
Freeman spent four years with the Bearcats, completely transforming the team’s defense and finishing the 2020 season as a Broyles Award finalist as one of the NCAA’s best assistant coaches. In 2021, he left Cincinnati for Notre Dame and was named head coach when Brian Kelly left the school to assume the same position at LSU. After losing the team’s bowl game in his first head coaching appearance, Freeman saw the team’s record improve each year under his leadership going 9-4 in 2022, 10-3 in 2023, 14-2 with a loss in the College Football Playoff National Championship game in 2024, and 10-2 as they just missed out on the CFP last year.
Even before nearly winning a national championship in only his third full year in any sort of head coaching role, Freeman had already become an immediate name to watch in NFL circles. In 2024, he was named a dark horse candidate for the Bears job, which ultimately went to Ben Johnson after Freeman signed what is believed to have been a four-year extension to stay at Notre Dame. In 2025, he was a popularly rumored name with the Giants, Titans, and Steelers, but once again, he announced his intentions to remain with the Fighting Irish.
According to La Canfora, Freeman claimed to have “gained some valuable experience” from his most recent cycle of NFL inquiries, and though he didn’t offer any kind of timeline, Freeman didn’t seem to shut the door on eventually taking that next step to the NFL. As a young, fast-rising, defensive-minded coach, Freeman is expected to receive no shortage of NFL interest in the coming years. When head coaching vacancies inevitably appear near the end of the 2026 season, look for Freeman’s name to come up, once again.
Rams Sign Second-Round TE Max Klare
The Rams have kept progress on the signing of their rookie draft class slow and steady so far. Today, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire, they signed just the third of five rookie draft picks in their class, inking Ohio State tight end Max Klare. Klare was one of many tight ends who benefitted from a huge elevation in draft stock due to a wild Day 2 run of tight ends; Klare was the fourth of eight to be selected in Rounds 2 and 3.
Klare started his collegiate experience committing to Purdue as a three-star recruit. After redshirting his true freshman year, Klare started making an impact as a redshirt freshman. His first year of extensive play time was abbreviated to only five games due to an ankle injury, but in those games, Klare recorded four starts and 22 receptions for 196 yards. In 2024, he started all 12 games for the Boilermakers, leading the team in catches (51), receiving yards (685), and receiving touchdowns (4).
Following the breakout campaign in West Lafayette, Klare opted to enter the transfer portal and committed to the Buckeyes. In Columbus, Klare became one half of Ohio State’s main tight end duo with Will Kacmarek, a blocking tight end who went nearly a round after Klare to the Dolphins. Though most of the Buckeyes’ passing attack was dominated by No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate and underclassman Jeremiah Smith, Klare finished third on the team in receptions (43) and receiving yards (448) while reeling in two touchdowns.
With seven drops and three fumbles in his final two seasons of collegiate play, ball security will be a big focus for Klare early, and he isn’t known for breaking a lot of tackles. Past that, though, there’s a lot of promise in Klare’s game. He’s got speed and athleticism, and he should be a quick study when it comes to blocking at the NFL level.
The Rams have a diverse group of returning tight ends on the roster in Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen. Parkinson and Allen are entering contract years, so space could be clearing up soon, but Klare stands a chance at making an impact in the receiving game considering Higbee, Ferguson, and Allen all finished with 281 receiving yards or fewer last year. He’ll compete with Parkinson, who led the room in 2025 with 43 catches for 408 yards and eight touchdowns, and could be the future if Parkinson isn’t given a new contract.
Here’s how the rest of the Rams’ 2026 NFL Draft class is looking to date:
- Round 1, No. 13 (from Falcons): Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)
- Round 2, No. 61: Max Klare (TE, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 93: Keagen Trost (T, Missouri) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 197 (from Falcons via Eagles): CJ Daniels (WR, Miami) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 232 (from Ravens): Tim Keenan III (DT, Alabama)
NFL, Owners Holding Out For 18-Game 2027 Season?
Despite continued pushback from the NFL Players Association, the league and team owners continue to obsess over the aspect of expanding the regular season to 18 games. Not only does the NFL feel that the expansion is inevitable, but they also continue to believe they’ll be able to make it happen before the expiration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which added the 17th regular season game in 2020 and is set to expire in 2031.
The intentions of the league and team owners to respect of the wishes of the NFLPA are being made clear as they continue to schedule for the future. After owners met twice this season without finalizing a date for Super Bowl LXII in February 2028, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes they are “specifically (leaving) the door open for the possibility of an expansion of the regular season from 17 to18 games by 2027.”
In a season with 18 games, two bye weeks, and two weeks between the conference championships and the big game, it’s believed the Super Bowl would fall on February 27, 2028. Multiple factors — only one bye week, only one week between conference championships and Super Bowl, and the potential to start Week 1 on Labor Day weekend — could also put the Super Bowl in 2028 on February 20.
Per Florio, the recent turmoil and upheaval within the NFLPA, which saw a change of leadership over the course of months in the past year, have gummed up the gears on the league’s expansion efforts. New NFLPA executive director J.C. Tretter only took over by April 1, leaving the NFL very little time to negotiate a new CBA (five years early), land a successful vote from the players, and implement the expanded season for 2027.
As long as February 13, 2028, stays free of any Super Bowl reservations, though, it seems the league does not intend to let their early schedule dreams go the way of the dodo quietly. With their ability to increase the league’s international schedule and the aim to put one international contest on each team’s schedule per season, league leadership is working any avenues they can to try and mold the schedule to fit their desires.
Colts QB Daniel Jones On Track For Week 1 Start?
As the Colts return to the field for Organized Team Activities, so, too, does quarterback Daniel Jones, just five months removed from his season-ending Achilles tendon tear. Though Jones was held out of 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills as practices advanced, the Indianapolis Star’s Joel A. Erickson noted that he was “doing everything in individual drills today” and “running full sprints with trainers after practice.”
After Jones’ promising 8-2 start to his tenure as the starter in Indianapolis came to an end following three straight losses and the season-ending injury, all eyes appeared to be on the future. The Colts expressed immediate expectations that Jones would be able to recover in time for training camp, and both sides began the process of working on a new contract that would keep him in Indy moving forward. The Colts opted to play it safe, securing Jones’ services via the application of the transition tag, but just eight days later Jones agreed to a two-year, $88MM extension.
A big part of the process that led to Jones’ multiyear deal was a constant evaluation of his progress returning from injury as he reliably hit key rehabilitation milestones before signing the deal. The most recent projections coming out of the building in Indianapolis paint the team as hopeful Jones will be ready to start in time for Week 1. Ask Jones about his potential status to start the season, though, and hope is not a word that will be mentioned.
“Absolutely,” Jones responded when asked if he expects to start Week 1 (via James Boyd of The Athletic). “There’s definitely still work to be done and progress to be made. So, I think it’s just continuing to get stronger, continuing to, you know, run faster, cut harder, and progress, kind of, according to the program, but it’s been good. I think we’ve hit all our marks so far, and we’ll continue to do that.”
There are still plenty of benchmarks and milestones to hit, but those are simply boxes to be checked in they eyes of Jones, who hasn’t even considered not being ready to open the 2026 campaign. As he continues to progress physically, the Colts will hope to see Jones’ explosiveness and confidence return in time to face the Ravens in Baltimore Week 1.
Titans Ink DE Keldric Faulk, Complete Rookie Class Signings
After making the surprising decision to select Ohio State’s Carnell Tate at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft, Tennessee traded back into the end of the first round to select Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk. The Titans secured Faulk’s signature today, completing the process of signing their eight-man rookie draft class.
Arriving at Auburn as a highly rated, in-state recruit, Faulk found an immediate role on the Tigers defense. By Week 7 of his true freshman season, Faulk was in the starting lineup, and he didn’t relinquish his first-team role the remainder of his time at Auburn. As one of the draft’s youngest players (turning 22 just before the start of his rookie year), Faulk has room to grow and develop in Tennessee. He flashed some serious play-making ability in college, but struggled to finish with impact plays.
A seven-sack, 11-tackle for loss campaign in his sophomore year had expectations high for Faulk’s 2025 season. Outside of that impressive production in 2024, though, Faulk only totaled three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in his first and third years combined. He carries an imposing frame, looking all of 6-foot-5, 275 pounds and has an effective arsenal of pass rush moves, but his technique and planning could certainly improve. Mentally, Faulk has good field vision and play recognition, and his leadership at Auburn shined despite his youth.
In Nashville, Faulk is joining a new-look edge rushing group that currently looks like it will be led by a pair of former Jets in Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers. The Titans’ pass rush in 2025 was buoyed by star interior lineman Jeffery Simmons, as no other defender eclipsed five sacks. Johnson, Franklin-Myers, and Faulk don’t have reputations as double-digit sack getters, but the trio is an improvement on last year’s group for Tennessee, and with Simmons drawing the attention of the offense, all three could see improvements in production in 2026.
With Faulk now locked into his four-year rookie deal (with a fifth-year option), here’s a final look at the Titans completed draft class:
- Round 1, No. 4: Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 1, No. 31 (from Patriots via Bills): Keldric Faulk (DE, Auburn) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 60 (from Bills via Titans): Anthony Hill Jr. (LB, Texas) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 142 (from Jets via Ravens): Fernando Carmona (G, Arkansas) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 165 (from Bears via Bills): Nicholas Singleton (RB, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 184: Jackie Marshall (DT, Baylor) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 194 (from Ravens via Jets): Pat Coogan, C (Indiana) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 225 (from Chiefs via Cowboys): Jaren Kanak (TE, Oklahoma) (signed)
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/27/26
Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: TE Max Tomczak
Cleveland Browns
- Reverted to IR: CB DeCarlos Nicholson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Jackson Sirmon
- Waived: CB Jeremiah McClendon
New York Giants
- Waived: G Reid Holskey
New York Jets
- Signed: T Courtland Ford
- Waived: LB Kendrick Blackshire
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Brandon Hayes
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Trayvon Rudolph
It’s a family reunion in New Orleans, where Sirmon will join the position room coached by his father, Saints linebackers coach Peter Sirmon. The two worked together in a similar manner when Peter served as inside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Cal. Jackson spent the first two years of his career on the Jets’ practice squad as an undrafted free agent and will now head to New Orleans for Year 3.
After trading for wide receiver/special teamer Irv Charles earlier today, the Seahawks have waived Rudolph, an undrafted rookie, to make room on the roster.
Raiders QB Kirk Cousins Not Certain To Start In Week 1
MAY 26: SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora reports the Raiders have been impressed with Mendoza early in spring work. Nevertheless, he adds Cousins is viewed as the presumed starter for Week 1. A gradual acclimation process for Mendoza would come as no surprise as long as Cousins is healthy at the start of the campaign.
MAY 23: The general consensus in Las Vegas has been that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins will open the season as the team’s QB1. According to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden, new head coach Klint Kubiak claims he hasn’t made a decision on a starter yet and “that the answer will reveal itself during training camp.”
When the Raiders utilized their No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, it was with the intention that he would eventually become the organization’s next franchise quarterback. Knowing that it can be harmful to a prospect’s development if they are thrown into NFL competition too soon, the team brought Cousins in as an experienced, veteran option.
While Cousins’ experience and accomplishments provide a decent case for him to start on their own, his familiarity with Kubiak theoretically solidifies his status as the man to beat for the starting job on opening day. Cousins played for the Vikings from 2018-23, and in three of those seasons, he had Kubiak as a quarterbacks coach (2019-20) or offensive coordinator (2021), so the two have worked together before. As the Raiders implement Kubiak’s offense, Cousins’ knowledge can help make the transition smooth, in comparison to the rookie Heisman-winner who will be coming in with a blank slate.
But the season doesn’t start tomorrow, and there’s a lot that can happen between now and Week 1. Players and coaches alike have been very impressed with Mendoza in the early days. Left tackle Kolton Miller called the young passer “wired” and “a sponge, soaking in information and taking notes during team meetings.” Kubiak doubled down on that notion, saying, “Anything you put in front of him, he’s going to attack it. Anything new, he spends extra time on. You can tell he fixes things from one day to the next.”
At the moment, Cousins is the first quarterback on the field, former starter Aidan O’Connell is second, and Mendoza is third, but Kubiak hasn’t provided a timeline for when he’ll name the Week 1 starter, counting instead on the answer revealing itself in training camp. And, while Kubiak has a history with Cousins, he won’t be making the decision alone as Kubiak claims “he wants his players to decide who should be the starter.”
Roger Goodell Claims ‘Tremendous Interest’ In Seattle Franchise
MAY 25: The expectation exists that the Seahawks’ new owner(s) will not immediately show interest in a stadium project, as detailed by Paul Roberts of the Seattle Times. The finances required for a stadium are of course a major consideration for prospective buyers and they will be a key factor in determining whether or not the franchise stays in Seattle. Six years remain on Lumen Field’s current lease agreement, and it could be extended for as many as 30 more. It will be interesting to see if the absence of any major investments on the stadium front being required will broaden the pool of suitors in this case.
MAY 23: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is pushing back against the recent narrative of a “soft” market for the league’s most recent franchise for sale. After recent reports claimed that there has been less interest in the purchase opportunity for the Seahawks, Goodell has refuted that notion, telling the media that “there has been ‘tremendous interest‘ among prospective buyers,” per NFL insider Mark Maske.
Days before Seattle was set to play in — and ultimately win — Super Bowl LX, rumors emerged that, about four years after the death of former Seahawks owner and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, his sister, Jody Allen, was finally ready to sell the franchise. With the ownership shares kept in the late-Allen’s trust, his sister was tasked as the executor of his estate. After initially refusing to grant any veracity to the rumors as they focused on the big game ahead, the Estate announced the commencement of a formal sale process 10 days after the team won its second championship.
Early speculation on the sale focused on projected valuations that some tried to push even into 11-digit figures. With the Broncos selling for $4.65 billion in 2022 and the Commanders selling for $6.05 billion in 2023, consistent appreciation on par with that increase — ignoring any additional factors — would put the franchise’s potential value around $10.25 billion, well in range of the $9-11 billion initially speculated. The Browns also recently sold a three-percent ownership share in their franchise, and according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the transaction was established on a $9 billion valuation, far higher than projected valuations, which put Cleveland closer to $6-7 billion.
In order to reach the record dollar values the NFL is hoping Seattle can reach, there will likely need to be “tremendous interest” to spark a competitive market. Per Jones, though, only one bidder, former Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, has emerged as a potential buyer., though 49ers investor Vinod Khosia is reportedly on track to prepare a bid, as well. Early into the process, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was also reported to be a name to look out for as a potential buyer. The longtime Microsoft CEO owns property in Seattle and a network of approximately $120 billion, but there were concerns that Ballmer was “really a hoops guy” that ultimately wouldn’t be interested in adding a football team to his portfolio.
At this point, it’s not expected that an individual buyer will emerge. More likely, it’s believed that the sale could function in a similar manner as did the sale in Washington. Commanders majority owner Josh Harris put together several limited partners to subsidize his bid. Jones adds that Harris’ purchase of the Commanders wasn’t even really for $6.05 billion, it was for up to $6.05 billion in a complex agreement that “included deferred payments vis ‘earnouts.'” The “earnouts” could end up holding about $200MM of value, which means that the ultimate sale value could end up truly being $5.85 billion, if the “earnouts” aren’t earned.
Goodell could be providing some new information, breaking an update on the changed nature of the sale, or he could just be trying to create the illusion of a crowded market where there is none. Regardless, as the NFL continues its efforts for record valuations and sales, the deal in Washington shows how creative bids can get in an effort to push the apparent value of a bid as high as the league may want it to go.
Steelers’ Rico Dowdle, Jaylen Warren Both RB1 Options
In an uncommon series of events, the Steelers have two running backs on similar multiyear deals each coming off career-best seasons. With both Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle having similar contracts and similar recent production, there doesn’t appear to be a clear RB1 in Pittsburgh at the moment.
Looking solely at the money, Dowdle’s two-year, $12.25MM free agent contract just outweighs the incumbent starter’s two-year, $11.9MM extension. Looking solely at production, Dowdle’s 1,373 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns once again just outshine Warren’s totals of 1,291 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. Both comparisons are close enough, though, that it’s hard to come to any hard conclusions either way. Plus, the two are quite different in their styles of play.
An undrafted player out of Oklahoma State, Warren spent his first three years in Pittsburgh as a change-of-pace and third-down back behind starter Najee Harris. He displayed promising abilities catching passes out of the backfield early and often, and his 784 yards and four touchdowns while sharing touches with Harris in Year 2 showed he can handle a higher volume of rushing touches as an RB2.
Also an undrafted player to start his career, Dowdle saw very little time on the Cowboys offense in his first three years in the league as he sat behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. In 2023, Dowdle stepped into the Cowboys’ RB2 role behind Pollard with Elliott no longer in the picture. Dowdle showed enough in his first look at extended time that Dallas tabbed him as RB1 after Pollard moved on in free agency. After recording a 1,000-yard season in his first starting opportunity, Dowdle landed in Carolina in free agency and started as RB2 behind Hubbard before taking over and completing a second straight 1,000-yard campaign.
One thing working in Dowdle’s favor is his history with the Steelers’ new head coach, Mike McCarthy. The two worked together when McCarthy was the head coach in Dallas, so Dowdle will have some familiarity with the offensive play-caller’s system. Having spent his entire career in Pittsburgh, though, Warren has existing chemistry with the returning players of the offense, including veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
In an appearance yesterday on the Steelers Collective, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette argued that he was looking forward to the possibility of Warren returning to a third-down, receiving back role as a change of pace to Dowdle. Fans have mourned the loss of Kenneth Gainwell to Tampa Bay in free agency after he filled that role last year, but Fittipaldo believes the combination of Dowdle and Warren could improve on the production of Warren and Gainwell last year.
The Steelers have two capable producers populating the backfield in Pittsburgh, and the coaches will have to figure out the ideal mixture for success by the time the regular season comes around. Both players have shown they have starting ability, but the potential that their skills may work in tandem could mean one former starter may be forced to embrace a lesser role on the offense.