Dae’Quan Wright’s football path may be taking a sharp turn back to college.
The former Eagles rookie tight end is among 33 athletes who were granted a temporary restraining order that could allow them to return to college football for one more season, according to ESPN. Wright joined the lawsuit against the NCAA in Louisiana state court on Wednesday, putting his status in play just days after a whirlwind stretch that moved him from Philadelphia to Cleveland.
Wright was an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss and had been in Eagles training camp as recently as last week. Philadelphia waived him on Aug. 10, and the Browns claimed him off waivers the next day.
ESPN reported that Wright has expressed interest in being released from his contract with Cleveland. If the Browns let him go by Sept. 1, the restraining order would allow him to join a college roster.
The case is part of a larger wave of legal action this summer, with more than a dozen lawsuits filed by athletes seeking a fifth season of college sports. Wright’s suit argues that the NCAA is violating its “covenant of good faith” by denying these players the same opportunity to play five years of college football that past players have had and future players will receive.
That matters because the NCAA changed its rules in June to allow athletes to compete in five seasons within a five-year window.
Wright’s college résumé already stretches across two stops. He spent two seasons at Virginia Tech in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to Ole Miss for 2024 and 2025. At Ole Miss, he became a key piece of the Rebels’ College Football Playoff run last year and earned second-team All-SEC honors after catching 39 passes for 635 yards, with several of those plays going for big gains.
His route to the NFL started with a strong pre-draft process. Wright attended the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, then went undrafted before signing with the Eagles shortly after the 2026 NFL draft. He flashed promise during spring practices, but his grip on a roster spot loosened in training camp before Philadelphia moved on.
Now, with the court order in place, Wright has the chance to return to college - and potentially make more in NIL money than he would as a lower-level rookie in the NFL.
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