Jack Pyburn’s path back to LSU is off the table after the Kansas City Chiefs claimed the former Tigers defensive end off waivers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Pyburn had been weighing a return to college if he cleared NFL waivers, but that option disappeared once Kansas City stepped in. The move leaves him with the NFL route instead of a possible reunion in Baton Rouge.
His case had picked up real momentum in recent days. Not many expected him to land on an NFL roster, with a practice squad seeming like the likeliest outcome. Then he turned heads by piling up four sacks in three preseason games, a burst of production that hadn’t shown up last season.
Pyburn has long been viewed more as a run stopper than a true edge threat, but that kind of label only gets you so far when teams are trimming rosters. He needed proof he could affect the quarterback, and he delivered enough of it in the preseason to stay in the conversation.
That showing initially made it look like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might keep him after signing him as a UDFA. Instead, they waived him, and that decision opened the door to the possibility of a college return before the Chiefs claimed him.
For LSU, the development doesn’t change much on the field. The Tigers had already handled their defensive line needs this offseason, and Pyburn likely wouldn’t have been in line to start anyway.
LSU still has three players fighting for eligibility on Thursday: Junior Tuihalamaka, Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris. Tuihalamaka never signed a professional contract, but he did go through the draft process before getting hurt and has already appeared in 54 games over four seasons.
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