Dae’Quan Wright, the Cleveland Browns rookie Tight End, will go into the history books for making a move backward. After signing an NFL contract with the Browns, he has reentered the NCAA Transfer Portal ahead of the 2026 season, becoming the first active NFL player to do so. The former Virginia Tech and Ole Miss football player has decided to go back for a 5th collegiate season thanks to a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by a Louisiana state court on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. 

The ruling relaxed NCAA eligibility restrictions and allows players from the 2022 high school recruiting class to claim a 5th season of college eligibility. Dae’Quan Wright’s decision has sparked controversy over whether players on active NFL rosters should even be allowed to return to college the moment pro opportunities start to look uncertain. Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety and Super Bowl champ Ryan Clark has made it clear where he stands on social media. 

“Bruh!! If folks just start going back to college because it doesn’t work out like they want to in the league, that’s some BS!! Worst part is that schools will eat it up,” Ryan Clark wrote on X about the UDFA rookie of the Steelers’ divisional rivals. “Going to be scouring NFL film looking for the next transfer portal, grown a** man to dominate 17-year-olds.” 

Dae’Quan Wright was not the only player who was part of the lawsuit. There are 15 other football players who were part of a 33-athlete list across several sports who are seeking a 5th year of eligibility via temporarily suspended NCAA eligibility restrictions. 

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RB Anthony Hankerson (Seattle Seahawks), pass rusher Jack Pyburn (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), DB Wydett Williams (Arizona Cardinals), and Dae’Quan Wright are on NFL rosters and were part of the lawsuit, per ESPN.

Going back to college has financial incentives for these rookies, as the NIL money they’ll get their hands on will be better than anything they’ll be making for featuring in pro-practice squads.

A first-year NFL practice squad player earns about $12,500 to $13,750 weekly on a non-guaranteed deal, per Front Office Sports’ Austin Green. In comparison, according to an August ESPN survey and a report by theNILstandard.com, starting college TEs earn anywhere from $500,000 to $600,000 annually.

Before going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, Dae’Quan Wright had 9 receiving TDs(all 9 at Ole Miss in the last 2 seasons), 1,604 receiving yards on 113 receptions across 4 collegiate seasons. He was also selected for 2nd-team All-SEC honors at Ole Miss last season.

If Dae’Quan Wright is released by the Browns before September 1, 2026, he can suit up for a 5th collegiate year in 2026; he would be doing so not just as a 23-year-old, but as a player who has already completed 4 full seasons of Power Four football. Along with a combined 4-month training camp with not one, but two NFL franchises, as he was first on the Philadelphia Eagles roster before switching to the Cleveland Browns.

Wright didn’t feature in the top 6 on the Browns’ unofficial TE Depth Chart; neither was he a part of practices or their preseason game against the Chicago Bears. Dae’Quan Wright will be looking to raise his stock for the 2027 NFL Draft. It remains to be seen whether he gets the return he wants to Mississippi.

Ole Miss HC Pete Golding said, “Our numbers are what they are right now,” displaying his stance on the possibility of adding Dae’Quan Wright late on the roster.

However, there’s a court hearing scheduled for August 31 in a Louisiana state court. If the judge denies a permanent injunction or the NCAA wins its appeal, athletes who have terminated their NFL contracts could face immediate in-season disqualification without an NFL or college team to play for, something Dae’Quan Wright will have to keep an eye on.