The Cleveland Browns are reportedly waiving rookie tight end Dae’Quan Wright, clearing the path for him to return to college football and join LSU.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news Sunday, with Wright’s agents saying that he will sign with LSU if he clears waivers.
Advertisement
Wright made headlines this week after showing up in the NCAA transfer portal on Thursday — despite being signed with an NFL team. Wright, a former tight end at Ole Miss, had signed a free agency deal with the Philadelphia Eagles after going undrafted; he was waived by the team earlier this month and claimed by the Browns off waivers.
Play Yahoo’s new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!
Browns head coach Todd Monken, though, could seemingly only laugh as he was asked about Wright’s status in a news conference after Saturday’s preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Advertisement
“Man, ain’t this s*** crazy? I mean I don’t even know what to say,” Monken said.
Monken said that Wright was dressed and on the sideline for Saturday’s game, though he didn’t end up taking any snaps.
“As far as I know, he’s had a medical issue that wasn’t allowing him to practice. And that’s a medical issue, it’s nothing to do with me,” Monken said. “Then he was cleared, so we dressed him just in case we had to have him, but when you don’t rep, it’s hard to put him on the field.”
Wright is one of a few players on professional contracts who entered the portal as part of a bid for another year of NCAA eligibility after four years in college. A judge granted a temporary restraining order to a group of these players earlier this week, allowing some to transfer back to college despite being on NFL rosters — something the NCAA has long tried to ban.
This specific round of NCAA madness began earlier this month, after a different judge granted a fifth year of college eligibility to members of the high school class of 2022. The NCAA is appealing that ruling.
Advertisement
Though Wright isn’t the only pro player to try and revert back to college, he did become the first to take advantage of the loophole. As part of the ruling this week, the players in the group were allowed to enter a week-long transfer portal to try and land with a college team.
Monken, meanwhile, seemed to be shrugging his shoulders at the highly unusual situation. He mentioned that new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin — and Wright’s former coach at Ole Miss — had tried to contact him.
“I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago, now I know,” Monken said. “S***, I didn’t know, now I know. I didn’t call him back, guess I should’ve.”
Advertisement
Notably, the ruling was made by a judge in Louisiana, and the primary plaintiff is former LSU starting edge rusher Jack Pyburn. In addition to Wright, two of the other players in the group are former Ole Miss players who could also choose to reunite with Kiffin in Baton Rouge.