College sports are in the midst of turmoil over the eligibility status of players with professional experience. NFL linebacker Jack Pyburn became the most recent face of this debate after the 22-year-old said that returning to LSU for a fifth year of eligibility “was a possibility as a backup option” if he did not make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 53-man roster.

Pyburn was, in fact, waived by the Bucs on Sunday, but the Kansas City Chiefs claimed the undrafted rookie Monday.

Pyburn’s representative advised him of the possibility a few months ago as the NCAA simplified its eligibility rules, essentially giving every athlete five years to play five college seasons. The change did not, however, apply to fourth-year seniors (such as Pyburn) who had just completed their eligibility under the previous set of rules. That led to a wave of lawsuits from recruits in the 2022 high school class seeking an extra year.

Pyburn was part of a suit filed by 30-plus athletes in Louisiana that won a temporary restraining order allowing them to play in college this academic year. To regain their college eligibility, Pyburn and other players who spent time in NFL camps or on preseason rosters would need to terminate their pro contracts and repay any pro earnings. Pyburn’s deal with the Bucs guaranteed him $115,000, including a $15,000 signing bonus.

Recently, the NFL ruled that rookies who sign a pro contract, are cut and later rejoin college football teams will not be eligible to return to the NFL this season. They are also not permitted to reenter the following year’s draft pool. Those players would be considered free agents who had signed and then been cut.

Last week, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay was asked a similar question to Ballard about NFL players returning to play in college and said of his confusion, “I feel like I took a freakin’ gummy. I can’t even comprehend this stuff. It’s wild.”

McVay’s comments came on the heels of former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright preparing to join LSU following a brief stint in the NFL. Wright spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent before joining the Cleveland Browns.

For people that have been to one of the preseason games, what did you think of the hype video?

The general consensus from my section was that it was anti-hype. It felt very generic/vanilla to me.

The Bengals just signed Blake Freeland, and I remember really liking him during the draft, so much so that I didn't even know he was cut. So I just had some questions about him

Why didn't he make the team? was the injury from last year still lingering, was he just straight up beat out by another backup, or was it something character wise that the fans over in Cincy don't know about.

How good is he as a swing tackle? Like I said I really liked him during the draft, and remember him playing some and not being bad. Should we expect him to be able to come in and hold down the fort for 4-5 games if Brown or Mims go down? or is he gonna consistently get beat, and could he still live up to that potential he had coming out of college

Just some questions about him, haven't heard much since the draft, so I thought I would come over to this sub and ask some questions about him from you guys since you've actually seen him and have kept up with him.

Our guys we like.

Tuddy’s & Celly’s

So the jerseys just went live. Won't ship until the 25th. Wtf? Guess they said fuck the fans that wanted it for the game

Lou is a Top 15 DC in the leauge easily, If you replace Lou anarumo with zach orr we have the number 1 pick in 2027

This would almost guarantee a week 1 win, Colts O-line is always solid. hendrickson is their only hope and he isnt all that (thanks ballard) this is huge

Adam Schefter on X: "Former Titans QB Will Levis went unclaimed on waivers." / X

Do yall think that we should trade someone, tbh idk who, for a 1st rnd pick for next years draft? Also who do yall think that would be? Let’s be honest we need a 1st for a stud of a WR or defensive player, maybe linebacker!

Obviously i'm a dumb embalmer, not the GM of our Colts, so break down this trade. Franklin to GB for Wooden, and then we waive Wooden, essentially giving Franklin up for NOTHING? Make it make sense. I thought the move was to get younger and faster on defense, not to just give away a player who was kind of a cancer in the locker room. Wouldn't cutting Franklin outright have essentially been the same move?