A court ruling has shaken up the state of both professional and college sports. A Louisiana judge granted collegiate players from the 2022 recruiting class a fifth year of college eligibility, which has resulted in several pro players (including two former Broncos) trying their luck again at the college ranks.
While coach Sean Payton said no Broncos players have asked him about returning to college football, he had a funny response to those seeking a return to the college ranks. "Well, I asked [if I could return to college], but I can’t move well enough," Payton joked on Wednesday. "I feel like I’m in the dark with it all, and I don’t have time to read up on it, but certainly it’s unusual, right?”
You can see Payton's hilarious response below.
Sean Payton hasn't fielded any college football programs asking about his players...so far.
— 92.5 FM - Denver's Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) August 26, 2026
And don't expect him to suit up for any program anytime soon. #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/OoaVASDzgJ
In response to the recent rulings, several Power 5 conferences, including the Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 have banned the return of NFL players to come back to the transfer portal to conference-wide schools. Some have implemented harsher rules than others (the Big 12 banned former pro players from any sport, while the Big Ten is exclusively football as of publication), and various penalties for any violation of these conference rulings.
The NFL also put out its own statement regarding players who return to the college ranks. The players who return to college will be considered free agents, and will be ineligible for any future drafts. Players who return to college football this fall will not be able to return to any NFL team in the 2026 season.
The rules regarding college and professional play continue to get more complicated, so more guidance will surely be needed in the future.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Sean Payton had a funny response to NFL players returning to college
