NFL Issues Memo Prohibiting Signing of Players Returning to College Football for 2026 Season

<p>The NFL informed its clubs on August 26, 2026, that players returning to college football will not be eligible to sign with any NFL team this season. This announcement comes amid ongoing discussions regarding players attempting to return to college athletics after previously going professional.</p><p>One such player is tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who was released by the Cleveland Browns and was expected to sign with LSU, reuniting with his former Ole Miss coach, Lane Kiffin.</p><p>The memo, obtained by ESPN, clarified existing rules stating that any player signed to an NFL contract who is subsequently released becomes a free agent. While these players can sign with another NFL team or join the Canadian Football League (CFL), returning to college football will render them ineligible for the current NFL season.</p><p>Additionally, players cut by an NFL team who return to college for the 2026 season will remain free agents and will not be eligible for future NFL Drafts.</p><p>Besides Wright, Zxavian Harris, who was cut by the New Orleans Saints, is also expected to sign with Kiffin at LSU. Both players received a temporary restraining order allowing them to return to college football, granting them an extra year of eligibility.</p><p>However, new guidelines established by the SEC and Big Ten, which will soon include the ACC and Big 12, aim to prevent players who have participated in professional sports from reentering college athletics. Under these new policies, any athlete who has signed with a professional team, declared for the NFL Draft, or participated in any professional training camp will be ineligible for conference competition.</p><p>Attorney Ryan Downton, representing several players seeking to return to college, stated that they are developing a legal strategy to address the new guidelines enacted by the NCAA and the conferences. He remarked, "The SEC’s actions put the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders. It is cartel-like conduct when NCAA conferences attempt to create their own spur of the moment rules in response to Courts enjoining those same rules at the NCAA level."</p>