NFL Memo Bars College Returnees; Wright and Harris Join LSU Roster

The NFL issued a memo Wednesday stating that players returning to college, including Dae'Quan Wright, cannot sign with pro teams this season.

The NFL issued a formal memo to all 32 clubs on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 3:12 PM ET, declaring that any athlete who returns to the collegiate ranks is prohibited from signing with a professional team during the current season. This directive followed a special league meeting held earlier that morning to address unprecedented roster movements involving the NCAA. The league clarified that while players cut from NFL contracts technically become free agents, those who choose to utilize remaining college eligibility are ineligible for professional employment until the 2026 season concludes.

Key details

Specific roster moves triggered this clarification after Cleveland’s Dae’Quan Wright and New Orleans’ Zxavian Harris parted ways with their respective NFL organizations. Both athletes, who previously played under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, have moved to join Kiffin’s current roster at LSU. Wright successfully cleared NFL waivers on Tuesday and was scheduled to sign his college paperwork on Wednesday afternoon. These transitions were made possible by a court order granting both players an unexpected fifth year of eligibility, provided they terminate their professional contracts and repay all earnings received from the NFL.

Under the guidelines detailed in the ESPN-obtained memo, a player signed to an NFL contract who is subsequently released maintains status as a free agent. These individuals retain the right to sign with a different NFL club, join the Canadian Football League (CFL), or return to the collegiate level. Any athlete who is cut and chooses the college path will remain a free agent for future professional purposes, meaning they will not be required to enter a future NFL draft to return to the league in subsequent years. The league's Wednesday memo serves as a reminder that these rules remain unaltered despite the recent legal developments surrounding the fifth year of eligibility for specific athletes.

Latest developments

The landscape for these transitions shifted rapidly on Tuesday when the SEC and Big Ten approved new internal regulations. These conference-specific rules now prevent players from leaving the NFL to join college teams, despite the court order that initially opened the door for Wright and Harris. This conflict between conference rules and individual eligibility court orders comes during what the league described as a chaotic week for the NCAA. The NFL confirmed that the fundamental principles of eligibility require the total repayment of all pro earnings. This process must be completed alongside the formal termination of their existing professional contracts before they are permitted to step back onto a college field.

League officials emphasized that the timing of these moves is critical, as the NFL season approaches its kickoff. The memo serves as a definitive boundary for front offices, ensuring that no team attempts to re-sign a player who has already committed back to a university program. By establishing this barrier, the league prevents a revolving door policy where players could potentially oscillate between professional practice squads and Saturday afternoon lineups. The financial clawback provision ensures that the amateur status, though modified by NIL, remains distinct from active NFL payroll participation.

Furthermore, the documentation sent to general managers highlighted that the waiver wire process remains the primary mechanism for player movement. Once a player like Wright clears that 24-hour window without being claimed, his contractual obligations to his former team cease, allowing the pivot to the SEC. However, the league's stance is that once that pivot occurs, the professional door locks for the remainder of the calendar year. This prevents teams from using college programs as de facto developmental extensions during the active season. The ruling applies to all players regardless of their draft status or years of service, creating a uniform standard for the 2026 campaign.