The NFL will prohibit players who return to college from signing with NFL teams during the 2026 season, multiple outlets reported. Those players would become free agents in 2027, per Pro Football Talk and Yahoo Sports.
The clarification comes as college programs, particularly LSU, have pursued former NFL players. ESPN reported the NFL will inform its teams of the new eligibility rules, though the exact timing of when the league made or will make this announcement is unclear from the available reporting.
Meanwhile, conferences are moving to restrict programs from signing NFL players. The SEC unanimously approved a policy suspending head coaches whose schools add players from the NFL, NBA, or WNBA, ESPN reported. The ACC is considering similar measures, with momentum building for the conference to join the Big Ten and SEC in banning NFL players, according to reporting citing ESPN sources.