Jim Harbaugh’s silence speaks volumes regarding Brendan Sorsby and gambling

Brendan Sorsby’s college career might be over. But in many ways, the drama is just now beginning.

It just shifts from the NCAA to the NFL after Sorsby decided to enter the league’s supplemental draft rather than continue to fight to play this season at Texas Tech despite breaching the NCAA’s gambling rules after it was discovered he wagered approximately $90,000 and placed more than 9,000 bets during his college career.

Brendan Sorsby will attempt to play in the NFL after hosting a Pro Day on July 10 before entering the NFL’s supplemental draft. Getty Images for ONIT

And now 32 NFL teams face an incredibly complicated question: In a sport where trust is such a critical component, how can you possibly put your faith in Sorsby?

How can his coaches and teammates be sure he’s playing on the up and up every time he takes the field?

How can teams convince their fanbases, and anyone else watching their games, that their quarterback is playing for the purest of reasons rather than being heavily influenced by the point spread or some over-under prop bet?

It’s a question Jim Harbaugh was not ready to tackle on Thursday when asked about it on last day of Chargers minicamp.

“I know sometimes it’s what’s the hot topic of the day, and ‘hey, Coach Harbaugh, weigh in on it,’” Harbaugh said. “I stand here not knowing the details. So I’ll pass.”

And therein lies pretty much everyone else in the NFL.

As teams earnestly begin the process of deciding whether to welcome Sorsby into their locker rooms, and what level of investment they are prepared to make in him when the leaghue’s supplemental draft unfolds next month, they have a lot to ponder.

Among the more than 9,000 bets that Sorsby placed were wagers on the Indiana football team he was a member of, albeit during his redshirt freshman season rather than as an active participant.

They violated the NCAA’s gambling rules, and it raises plenty of questions within the NFL.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh refused to comment on Sorsby’s situation, but his silence spoke volumes regarding the controversy surrounding gambling and the NFL. Getty Images

On one hand, there is no questioning Sorsby’s talent. An NFL personnel executive told The Post this week that, based on skill set alone, Sorsby would have been a high second-round pick in last April’s NFL draft.

Another league talent evaluator told The Post that he believes Sorsby would not have gotten out of the first round.

“He can absolutely play,” the source said. “There’s some refinement needed. He’s raw in some ways. But the traits are there.”

Of course, Sorsby is the furthest thing from a “just talent” prospect the NFL has encountered in years. There are red flags, and then there are the kind of LED-generated neon blinking lights surrounding Sorsby. His backstory basically makes him one giant parlay of liability.

As much as those teams like Sorsby the player, what level of draft pick are they willing to commit to him?

“It will be a fascinating case study,” an NFL team executive said.