Cleveland Browns release TE Dae’Quan Wright surprisingly not to another NFL team but back to college
If he clears waivers, Wright has an agreement to play for LSU this season and if that happens, he’d be the first player on record to sign a deal to come back to college ball after signing with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent.
History: the Browns are waiving tight end Dae’Quan Wright and, if he clears waivers, he has an agreement in place for the 2026 season to play for LSU, per agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln.
Wright is believed to be the first player who could play for an NFL team, and then… pic.twitter.com/3MLKNFYInY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 23, 2026
How He Arrived
Wright was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia cut him and the Browns claimed him on waivers August 11.
He never played in a preseason game for Cleveland, and Browns coach Todd Monken said the absence was injury-related. He was on the roster, suited up for the second preseason game but the writing was already on the wall.
Coach Lane Kiffin’s Involvement
Wright is not walking into a stranger’s program. He spent his last two college seasons with Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss before Kiffin left for LSU.
When asked about Wright’s status after Cleveland’s preseason game, Monken didn’t hide the confusion “I was wondering why Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago… now I know.”
Kiffin apparently had been working the phones long before any of this became public.
The legal background
Wright was one of 16 names listed on a judge’s temporary restraining order in a lawsuit against the NCAA’s five-year eligibility clock.
He’s not the only one in this category; Buccaneers pass rusher Jack Pyburn and Cardinals lineman Wydett Williams Jr. are among others reportedly considering the same kind of jump, along with a mix of transfer-portal arrivals from Virginia Tech, SMU, BYU, James Madison, Appalachian State and New Mexico.
If Wright clears waivers and plays for LSU this fall, every team has to worry about the possibility that a practice squad player or fringe roster member might have a college
