Solak: Brendan Sorsby ‘would easily clear’ Carson Beck as Cardinals’ franchise QB

The Arizona Cardinals were quickly linked to Brendan Sorsby following his decision to apply for the supplemental draft after a legal battle with the NCAA over his eligibility for gambling while in college.

For ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak, the answer is simple: Sorsby gives the Cardinals something more at quarterback than what they currently have on the roster.

The Cardinals are the most obvious choice, as they don’t have an exciting starting option on their roster. Veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II are known backup types, while third-round rookie Carson Beck doesn’t project as a high-end starter. Sorsby would easily clear Beck as the potential franchise passer.

Much like Solak, ESPN’s Matt Miller sees Sorsby as an upgrade to Beck, noting some scouts viewed the quarterback prospect as a late first-rounder in the 2026 NFL Draft.

He adds:

(Sorsby) would not have been drafted ahead of eventual No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, but in what was seen as a weak class at the position, he would have been ranked ahead of Ty Simpson — the QB2 and eventual No. 13 pick — on most boards.

Miller also had Sorsby as the third-best QB prospect in 2027 behind Arch Manning and Dante Moore before the gambling development arose.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Sorsby is coming off a 2025 season with Cincinnati in which he completed 61.6% of his throws for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns to five interceptions. He ran for another 580 yards and nine scores on 100 carries.

The Cardinals are expected to attend Sorsby’s pro day next month and have already done their homework on the quarterback, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.

But for all the good he did on the field, his gambling issues linger off of it.

A team may be able to snag the quarterback at a discount through the supplemental draft, depending on if Sorsby’s application is accepted, but that’s going to be something looming over his career.

There’s still a price to be paid for Sorsby’s services, too. Any draft pick used on the quarterback will be subtracted from the team’s 2027 selections.

Solak writes:

The Cardinals might not wish to spend any 2027 capital as they gear up for a bigger swing in the upcoming draft.

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