Ceyair Wright was among the crop of undrafted free agents signed by the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this year after a solid collegiate career that began at USC and ended at Nebraska. And now, the UDFA cornerback has left the team, but there's a reported specific reason why: He's also an actor.
It was Wright who played Darius James in Space Jam: A New Legacy back in 2021. He also was Zeke in Grown-ish along with a bunch of other acting credits. And as Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Saturday, Wright called him and said he was leaving the team, with a report that it's to pursue an acting opportunity.
Notes from Zac Taylor’s press conference: -Only injury from the game restricting someone today is DT McKinnley Jackson. -Says they “weren’t
great” operationally on offense. “I expect us to be cleaner this week.” -Taylor said his main takeaway with how backup OL played was…
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) August 15, 2026
2. Rookie CB Ceyair Wright, who has several acting credits, left camp to pursue TV/Film opportunities.
— Dan Hoard (@Dan_Hoard) August 15, 2026
He’s been replaced by rookie Matthew McDoom (#41) who was released by the Ravens last week.
If the name sounds familiar, McDoom was the UC Bearcats’ best corner last year.… pic.twitter.com/y39ef8QHTp
Was Ceyair Wright in Space Jam 2?
Yes. That was Wright as LeBron James' oldest kid, Darius James.
What did Zac Taylor say about Ceyair Wright leaving the Bengals?
There are his full comments in which Taylor called him "a great kid."
What acting role is Ceyair Wright leaving the Bengals for?
No word on that yet. We'll see if we get more information from Wright himself.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why a Bengals rookie shockingly left the team mid-camp: 'Two of his passions were colliding'
