Would the Carolina Panthers take a gamble on a controversial prospect?
Well, a few folks over at the worldwide leader seem to think so—as the reigning NFC South champions have been linked to quarterback Brendan Sorsby by multiple ESPN analysts. One is Benjamin Solak, who puts the Panthers at No. 2 on his list of potential fits for the Texas Tech passer.
Solak writes:
The Panthers are oddly thin at quarterback for June, as behind Bryce Young they have only Kenny Pickett, Will Grier and Haynes King. Much of what coach Dave Canales does for Young — getting the ball out of his hands fast with big one-on-one winners on the outside — would work for Sorsby. And Sorsby could contend with Pickett for the QB2 job while getting up to speed on the under-center aspect of Canales’ offense. But if Sorsby were forced into action, Canales has run plenty of shotgun RPOs to take advantage of Young’s fast release and natural footwork, and Sorsby brings much of the same.
Sorsby also brings some controversy to the table. The 22-year-old has been embroiled in a gambling scandal, having admitted to placing over $90,000 in bets during his collegiate career.
According to court documents filed by his representation, Sorsby placed at least 40 bets on his own team while attending Indiana University in 2022. With his future at Texas Tech in question, he intends to enter the NFL’s upcoming supplemental draft.
Like his ESPN colleague Solak, former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum also believes the Panthers should be interested in Sorsby. Here’s what Tannenbaum had to say about it on a recent episode of Get Up:
After rostering three-time Pro Bowler Andy Dalton as Young’s backup since 2023, the Panthers pivoted towards a bit of a youth movement at the position—signing 2020 first-round pick Kenny Pickett to a one-year pact at the start of free agency. A few weeks later, the Panthers cleared the path to that No. 2 role for Pickett—trading the 38-year-old Dalton to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2027 seventh-round draft pick.
Pickett hasn’t exactly excelled at the pro level, having thrown for as many touchdowns as he has interceptions (16) over his four-year career. So it may not be farfetched to think that Sorsby, a second-team All-Big 12 selection, could compete behind Young.
Sorsby’s dual-threat abilities might also appeal to possible NFL suitors. This past season, as the starter for the Cincinnati Bearcats, he passed for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions and rushed for 580 yards and nine more scores.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: ESPN heavily links Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby to Panthers
