The Cleveland Browns waived 22-year-old rookie tight end Dae'Quan Wright so he could leave the NFL and return to college, a roster transaction so perfectly Cleveland that Pittsburgh Steelers fans couldn't have scripted it better. The Browns claimed him from the Philadelphia Eagles, kept him briefly, and then helped him head back to class before he ever played a regular-season snap.
Wright cleared waivers Tuesday and had an agreement to join LSU for the 2026 season, according to agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln. The Advocate's report explains how a preliminary injunction opened a fifth year of eligibility for athletes from the 2022 recruiting class.
Across two seasons apiece at Virginia Tech and Ole Miss, he caught 113 passes for 1,603 yards and nine touchdowns. His career-high 2025 season produced 39 catches, 635 yards and five scores, while his single-game highs are nine receptions, 99 yards and two touchdowns. At 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, he averaged 10.1 yards after the catch in 2025, the best mark among FBS tight ends.
Dae'Quan Wright gives Cleveland Browns an all-time weird exit
Wright joined Cleveland as a developmental pass catcher in a crowded tight end room, so his release won't exactly alter an AFC North game plan. The Browns already had Harold Fannin Jr., Jack Stoll and several younger options competing for tight end snaps. While an All-SEC second-team selection couldn't see a clear NFL role with the Browns, LSU and Lane Kiffin were prepared to put him back into a major college offense.
The SEC complicated that plan Tuesday by unanimously barring athletes who signed NFL contracts from returning to conference competition. The SEC's new rule could keep Wright from playing for LSU, although another legal challenge may determine whether the conference can enforce it.
Cleveland made a waiver transaction involving Wright, only to make it the strangest part of a broader eligibility fight. After the Myles Garrett trade reshaped the rivalry, the Browns have made another odd move in their 2026 ledger. They claimed a rookie from Philadelphia, waived him to facilitate a college transfer, and may watch the SEC block the transfer anyway.
Wright can pursue another NFL job, consider a school outside the SEC, or challenge the conference's ban. If LSU can't use him and Cleveland's tight end depth gets thin, the Browns could end up calling the player they waived three days earlier.
Add us as a preferred source on Google