Cleveland Browns waive tight end Dae'Quan Wright, who plans to return to LSU

The Cleveland Browns announced they are waiving tight end Dae'Quan Wright, who has a pending agreement to resume his college career at LSU for the 2026 season, agents said to ESPN. Wright, an undrafted free agent who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles before being claimed by Cleveland on Aug. 11, did not play in the team's first two preseason games and was listed as injured by head coach Todd Monken. He was on the roster for the second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills but did not see action.

Wright entered the NCAA transfer portal after a temporary restraining order allowed him and other athletes to return to college for an additional season. The court order follows a lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s recent eligibility rule, which grants most Division I athletes five years of eligibility over a five-year span but does not apply retroactively to players who began college in 2022-23.

"I don't even know what to say," Monken said when asked about the situation.

Wright previously played under LSU head coach Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, recording 39 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns last season. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals later issued a stay on a broader NCAA eligibility ruling, but the stay does not affect athletes who have secured individual restraining orders in state courts.

If Wright clears waivers, he is expected to rejoin LSU under the existing agreement for the 2026 season.