Two Chiefs Undrafted Free Agents Cleared for Possible College Return After NCAA Eligibility Ruling

Kansas City Chiefs players Wesley Bissainthe and Omari Evans could get another chance to play college football after a recent court ruling involving the NCAA. Both players went undrafted in 2026 but later joined the Chiefs as free agents. The ruling has opened the door for players in their situation to regain college eligibility.

The case comes from a dispute over NCAA eligibility rules and an extra year of college football. A judge temporarily blocked restrictions that could have prevented the players from returning.

Court Ruling Gives Chiefs Duo College Return Chance

Chiefs’ undrafted free agents Wesley Bissainthe and Omari Evans now have a chance to return to college football. The case reached court after several athletes challenged NCAA rules that could prevent them from going back to college sports. The NCAA and several major conferences had opposed the return of players who had entered a professional draft, signed with a professional team or appeared on a pro roster. The players argued that briefly moving into professional football should not cost them their college eligibility.

On Thursday, a Texas judge issued a 14-day restraining order. The order prevents the NCAA, SEC and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey from blocking 41 athletes from returning to college sports for another season. Wesley Bissainthe and Omari Evans are among those athletes, along with Dallas Cowboys receiver Jordan Hudson.

In his order, Dallas County Judge Martin Hoffman wrote: “As long as they would have been eligible to continue playing college sports in the following semester if they had a fifth year of eligibility, they are eligible today.” The ruling gives Bissainthe and Evans a chance to return to college football if they meet the eligibility requirements.

However, the ruling does not mean Bissainthe and Evans will definitely leave the Kansas City Chiefs. The decision only gives them the option to return for now. If they choose college football, they could miss the 2026 NFL season.

Among the other football players granted TROs today: Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, Chiefs wide receiver Omari Evans and SMU first-team All-ACC safety Ahmaad Moses.

Several others too.

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) August 27, 2026

The case could also have an impact on college football in the future. The SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC have introduced rules aimed at keeping former professional players out of college sports. For now, the judge’s order puts those restrictions on hold for the athletes involved in the case. Another hearing is scheduled for September 11, so the situation could change again.

For now, the court order gives the Chiefs duo a temporary path back to college football, although their future remains uncertain pending both their personal decisions and the outcome of a September hearing.

The Main Problem with the NCAA Eligibility Rule

Eligibility changes introduced in 2026 created questions about the status of players from the 2022 high school class. Under the old system, a player could generally play four seasons within a five-year eligibility period. The new system gave some players a chance to play a fifth season. This change created questions about the eligibility of players from the 2022 high school class.

Those players had already used their four seasons under the previous rules. They argued that if other players were getting an extra year under the new system, they should have the same chance. The NCAA did not want to give the new benefit to players whose eligibility had already ended.

As a result, several players took the issue to court. They argued that leaving them out of the new eligibility system would put them at a disadvantage compared with other “similarly situated athletes.” The main question was whether the new eligibility benefit should also apply to players from the older class.

A federal judge later gave Class of 2022 players another year of college eligibility. That allowed them to compete during the 2026 season. The ruling broadened the NCAA eligibility dispute, later affecting players who had already moved on to professional football.

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