League won't allow Dae'Quan Wright or Zxavian Harris to sign with NFL teams
nbcsports.com • • sports
Key Points:
- Former pro players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, cleared to sign with LSU but not used by the team, remain ineligible to join NFL teams during the 2026 season, according to a league memo.
- Despite not playing college football after being released from NFL tryout contracts, Wright and Harris are caught in a political battle over a federal antitrust exemption for college sports, known as the Protect College Sports Act.
- The narrative that "pro athletes are returning to college" is misleading, as Wright and Harris attempted to make NFL rosters but failed, and the NCAA granted them an extra year of eligibility retroactively.
- Wright and Harris chose to play college football for financial reasons, highlighting the blurred lines between college athletes and professionals in the current system.
- The NFL's stance aligns with its interest in maintaining college football as a developmental system, supporting policies that favor the NCAA's control over player eligibility.
