Overview
- A Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order for 16 players, including Jack Pyburn, allowing them to regain a fifth year of college eligibility; that order was reported on Sunday and reopens the transfer portal to those players.
- Pyburn remains on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster after signing a three-year, $3.1 million undrafted free-agent deal and posting two sacks in the preseason while he focuses on making the team.
- The court order lets players return to college only if they drop their NFL contracts, which would require forfeiting guaranteed rookie pay and any 2026 NFL salary tied to those deals.
- The timeline is compressed because a hearing is expected at the end of August, NFL teams must cut rosters to 53 by the same period, and the affected players face a September 1 transfer-portal entry deadline, forcing quick choices.
- The ruling could reshape incentives by boosting potential NIL income and future draft prospects for returning players, while leaving open legal questions about team rights and a possible NCAA appeal.