The NFL just dropped a memo on every single club, making it crystal clear: players trying to bounce from the league to college and back again in the same season are absolutely off-limits for visits or signings during the 2026 NFL season. This whole thing blew up specifically because of the Green Bay Packers, who thought they could bring in defensive lineman Zxavian Harris for a visit just this past Tuesday. The full memo, sent out Wednesday, explicitly bars Harris and tight end Dae’Quan Wright from stepping foot in any NFL facility for visits, tryouts, or signings this entire season. Seriously, did the Packers really think nobody would notice?
Zxavian Harris, Character Concerns, And The LSU Saga
So, who is Zxavian Harris, and why are we even talking about him sparking a league-wide memo? This guy was one of the highest-rated undrafted free agents coming out of the 2026 draft class. He is a beast, standing at 6’8” and weighing 330 pounds. But despite that raw talent, he tumbled out of the draft entirely, and it was all thanks to a truly wild list of character concerns. We are talking about multiple arrests during his time at Mississippi, including domestic violence, obstructing arrest, DUI, reckless driving, being a minor in possession, not using headlights, and running a stop sign. Not once, but over two occasions. Yikes. He originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints but got cut loose in early August, which happens. From there, Harris tried to link up with LSU’s football program, following his former Mississippi head coach, Lane Kiffin. He never actually practiced with LSU, unlike Dae’Quan Wright, who was a former Cleveland Brown tight end. Both players did enroll at LSU. But the Tigers, facing some serious heat from the SEC conference and other programs, ended up not adding either Harris or Wright to their 2026 roster. That agonizing decision got finalized a mere 24 hours before their season kickoff, leaving both players in limbo.
The League’s Rules: No Bouncing Back to the Pros
Here’s the kicker: the NFL has actually been pretty consistent on this for weeks! Clubs simply cannot sign players who decided to join non-NFL teams. Think of it like guys who signed with the CFL, for example; those players aren’t eligible to sign with an NFL team until both their CFL seasons are completely wrapped up. On paper, Harris and Wright *should* be eligible to sign as free agents, but not until reserve-futures deals start getting handed out once NFL teams’ seasons actually end. But not a minute before that, period. The Packers, though, decided to ignore that crystal-clear guidance and brought Harris in for a visit on Tuesday anyway. What were they thinking? Maybe they were testing the waters, trying to see if a simple tryout or visit was different from a full-on signing. Or maybe, just maybe, they were trying to pull a fast one and sneak him in.
The NFL made its stance crystal clear this week, leaving zero room for interpretation. Every single club has a responsibility to verify a player’s eligibility. And if you mess up? If a club violates these rules, those actions are absolutely subject to league discipline. The league has not announced any specific punishment for the Packers yet, but you know they are watching every move. This isn’t just a slap on the wrist when the NFL sends a league-wide memo calling out a specific team’s actions; it means they are serious. We will have to wait and see what the league decides to do, but this whole situation definitely puts the Packers under a microscope for potential disciplinary action. This isn’t over.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
Leave a Reply