Todd Monken Walks Back Kiffin Call Claim in Dae'Quan Wright Portal Saga
The Browns coach admits no call from LSU's Lane Kiffin ever happened, capping a bizarre saga around a tight end now headed back to college.
Waived by Cleveland and heading back to LSU — no NFL fantasy value.
- Browns waived Wright in August 2026
- Undrafted out of Ole Miss, signed by Eagles first
- 39 catches, 635 yards, 5 TDs at Ole Miss
- Rosenhaus: multiple teams called, LSU won
- Monken retracts claim Kiffin phoned him
Browns coach Todd Monken has backpedaled on his claim that LSU's Lane Kiffin personally called him about tight end Dae'Quan Wright, the strangest wrinkle yet in a transfer-portal story that has an NFL player heading back to college. Kiffin flatly denied the conversation ever happened on Monday, saying he doesn't have Monken's number and doesn't know him.
Monken owned the mistake, explaining that a staffer had mentioned a text and that he ran with it without checking — possibly the message came from someone on LSU's side, not Kiffin himself. He said he was mostly joking about how weird the modern game has become and shouldn't have attached a name to secondhand information.
The backstory matters here. Wright signed with the Eagles as an undrafted rookie, landed with Cleveland after his release earlier this month, then got waived by the Browns. Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed several teams inquired about Wright, but LSU came out on top. If he clears waivers, he'll suit up for LSU's 2026 roster.
Why This Is Even Possible
An NFL player rejoining college football would've been unthinkable a year or two ago. But between courtroom wins, temporary restraining orders and eligibility rulings that keep dissolving the old boundaries, a fifth year of college ball is now on the table for players like Wright. Kiffin, for his part, defended the pursuit — his job is to build a roster, and if the rules allow it, he sees no reason not to make the call.
Kiffin already knows the player. Wright spent his last two college seasons at Ole Miss, where he was one of the offense's better weapons: 39 grabs for 635 yards and five scores at tight end. Monken, who coached at LSU back in 2005-06 and later ran Georgia's offense under Kirby Smart, wished him well and took the blame for the mix-up.
The Fantasy Fallout
For fantasy purposes, this one's simple. Wright is off NFL rosters and headed to LSU, so there's nothing to manage in redraft, dynasty or best-ball formats. If you were speculating on a deep tight end stash after his brief Browns stint, drop him and move on. There's no NFL path here in 2026, and college production doesn't score you any points.
