More NFL Players Considering College Returns With Roster Cuts Approaching
Dae’Quan Wright can return to college thanks to a lawsuit he filed.
NFL players facing roster cuts are considering returning to college, a scenario once deemed improbable. Dae’Quan Wright, waived by the Cleveland Browns, is set to play for LSU this season, after a lawsuit filed by him and other athletes. The lawsuit, pursued in Louisiana state court, aims to challenge the NCAA's age-based eligibility policy.
The policy, introduced in June, grants athletes five years to complete five seasons, starting from entering college or their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. However, the NCAA chose not to apply this to players who entered college in 2022 and exhausted four years of eligibility. Wright, along with others like Wydett Williams Jr., Anthony Hankerson, and Jack Pyburn, joined the lawsuit, arguing they wouldn't have participated in NFL training camps if they knew earlier they could return to college.
A temporary restraining order was granted, with a full injunction hearing scheduled for August 31. For eligibility, players must terminate their professional contracts and return any earned NFL money. As of Monday, only Louisiana case participants are eligible. However, the NCAA stated that courts granting relief to ineligible athletes are destabilizing college sports.
LSU coach Lane Kiffin defended signing Wright, stating that players are either going to play for them or elsewhere. Players need to be in the 2022 class, completed four years, and under 25 to consider filing a lawsuit. As of Monday, sports attorney Darren Heitner had received at least a dozen inquiries about potential lawsuits.
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