Dae'Quan Wright, a rookie tight end for the Cleveland Browns, has surprised everyone by entering the NCAA transfer portal, despite being signed with an NFL team.
Browns head coach Todd Monken seemed just as baffled as everyone else when asked about Wright's decision. "Man, ain't this sh** crazy? I mean I don't even know what to say," Monken said in a press conference after Saturday's preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Wright was dressed and on the sideline for the game, but didn't take any snaps due to a medical issue. "As far as I know, he's had a medical issue that wasn't allowing him to practice. And that's a medical issue, it's nothing to do with me," Monken said.
This unusual situation is part of a larger NCAA controversy, where some players on professional contracts are trying to take advantage of a loophole to gain an extra year of college eligibility. A judge granted a temporary restraining order earlier this week, allowing some players to transfer back to college despite being on NFL rosters.
Wright is one of a few players to try and revert back to college, and the first to take advantage of the loophole. As part of the ruling, players in the group were allowed to enter a week-long transfer portal to try and land with a college team.
New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, who is also Wright's former coach at Ole Miss, had tried to contact Monken about Wright's situation. "I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago, now I know. Sh**, I didn't know, now I know. I didn't call him back, guess I should've," Monken said.
The ruling was made by a judge in Louisiana, and the primary plaintiff is former LSU starting edge rusher Jack Pyburn. Three of the players in the group, including Wright, are former Ole Miss players who could potentially choose to reunite with Kiffin in Baton Rouge.
For now, Wright will continue to practice with the Browns now that he's been medically cleared. But after that, it's unclear what will happen next.
Source: Yahoo Sports