​The Dallas Cowboys have been pursuing a developmental quarterback to eventually succeed Dak Prescott. In pursuit of youthful talent, Dallas has executed two notable trades aimed at finding a younger signal-caller. The first came in 2023 when the Cowboys acquired Trey Lance, a move that ultimately didn’t deliver a lasting solution. Despite Lance’s status as a former top-three draft pick, he failed to show enough promise to instill confidence, and he ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. Dallas then made another move for quarterback Joe Milton during the 2025 offseason, but the hunt for a quarterback behind Prescott persisted.
Current discussions indicate the Cowboys’ continued interest in a different young quarterback. Per CowboysRoundtable.com’s Mike Fisher, Dallas weighed the possibility of using as much as a conditional second-round pick to draft Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby if the NFL had hosted a supplemental draft. This piece explores the latest rumors surrounding the Cowboys’ pursuit of a new quarterback.
To recap the Brendan Sorsby storyline, the quarterback has been fighting for college eligibility after acknowledging gambling on the sport, including games involving his own team. There had been talk that Sorsby could enter the supplemental draft, but the NFL ultimately did not approve that option. In the NFL draft period, teams can bid on college players who were not part of the traditional draft by surrendering a future pick. According to Fisher, the Cowboys were “very interested” in selecting Sorsby as a developmental behind Prescott. He notes that Dallas might have been willing to spend a second-round pick for a chance at the 6-foot-3, 235-pound quarterback, whose collegiate résumé includes two seasons as Cincinnati’s starting quarterback, during which he threw for more than 5,600 yards and 45 touchdowns.
For the moment, it appears the Cowboys must wait until the 2027 NFL draft to pursue Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati in the offseason. Sorsby is not expected to be eligible to play this season. In 2025, he threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 61.6% of his passes over 12 games, and he added 580 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. What Sorsby might have commanded in a supplemental draft—whether for Dallas or another team—remains uncertain. Sorsby’s NIL deal with Texas Tech has been estimated as high as $6 million annually, with On3 projecting closer to $5 million. The quarterback appears to hold a wide range of opinions regarding his NFL future, a factor that could influence how this storyline unfolds.