It’s not every day a player chases an NFL roster spot just to leave it. But after a series of court rulings restored a path to a fifth college season for some Class of 2022 athletes, several NFL signees are now exploring exactly that possibility.

“Now hearing of a few players going to their NFL teams and asking to be cut now (instead of likely being cut in two weeks) to go play in college again. What a time this is.” Andrew Brandt posted on X.

Here’s what happened: A federal judge shook things up on July 31, issuing a preliminary injunction that allowed qualifying Division I athletes from the high school Class of 2022 to seek a fifth season of eligibility in 2026-27. The order applied to athletes who began competing in 2022-23 and had exhausted four seasons by the end of the 2025-26 academic year.

The ruling was narrower than it first appeared. In a August 2 clarification, U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney said the injunction addressed only whether Class of 2022 athletes could compete in a fifth season under the NCAA’s new eligibility rule. It did not suspend NCAA rules on professional contracts and agents, transfer eligibility or the age-based restrictions in the new system. The order also left the House settlement’s roster limits and revenue-sharing cap intact.

That distinction mattered most for players with NFL ties. The federal order did not make an athlete eligible to return to college football simply because he had signed a professional contract, nor did it automatically reopen a route into the transfer portal after the usual window closed.

Those players needed separate relief, which made the later Louisiana case central to athletes seeking to leave NFL situations and return to college.

That nationwide ruling is now on hold. On August 21, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit granted the NCAA’s request to stay the preliminary injunction in Wisne v. NCAA while the appeal proceeds. The NCAA’s age-based eligibility rules are back in effect for athletes whose claims relied solely on the federal case.

The federal case was followed by separate state-level challenges, including one in Louisiana, where 33 athletes are seeking a fifth season. Unlike the nationwide Wisne injunction, the Louisiana case applies only to its named plaintiffs.

On August 19, a Louisiana court sided with them, at least temporarily. It granted a temporary restraining order covering the 33 athletes, including 16 football players, allowing them to pursue a fifth college season even though several are currently on NFL rosters. The order also gave the plaintiffs a one-week opportunity to enter the transfer portal.

Some notable names are in the mix. One is former Florida and LSU edge defender Jack Pyburn, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So are Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright, Seattle Seahawks running back Anthony Hankerson and Arizona Cardinals defensive back Wydett Williams Jr.

Former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris is also a plaintiff, but he was recently cut by the New Orleans Saints and should not be described as a current Saints player.

Several of the players are not waiting for the legal process to play out. Wright, former SMU running back TJ Harden, former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and former BYU offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho were among the plaintiffs who entered the transfer portal, according to reporting from CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz and 247Sports’ Chris Hummer.

Right now, The Louisiana order remains temporary. The 19th Judicial District Court is scheduled to hear the underlying case on August 31, when it could extend, narrow or end the relief currently available to the 33 plaintiffs.

At the heart of it, the athletes argue the NCAA broke a “covenant of good faith” by denying them that extra season. The NCAA isn’t backing down either. Senior vice president Tim Buckley pushed back hard, saying the ruling “invites further chaos in college sports and irreparably harms thousands of student-athletes already on campus.”

NFL teams are already experiencing it firsthand. Take the Cleveland Browns, who’ve been quietly working out backup tight ends while Wright has been a no-show at training camp, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic.

Then there’s the money question.

Wright, Williams, and Pyburn each got signing bonuses under $25K, plus guaranteed salaries of $100K for Williams and Pyburn and $25K for Wright. The bonuses are already paid out. The guaranteed money hits once they’re cut.

Nobody has ever gone from a pro football contract back to the NCAA. Not once. Yet Pyburn and Williams have already suited up in NFL preseason games, with Pyburn even racking up two sacks for Tampa Bay.

The clock is ticking. Teams must trim rosters to 53 by August 30, meaning if these athletes get released by September 1, they could be back on campus, assuming they win their case while the NCAA keeps appealing.