Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jack Pyburn has had his plan to return to LSU and earn a bigger payday scuppered after the Chiefs claimed him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The move keeps him in the NFL rather than back in college, but ironically leaves him worse off financially, highlighting how shifting NIL and eligibility rules have turned college football into a genuine financial rival to the NFL for some players.

Pyburn had been expected to earn around $1 million in 2026 had he returned to LSU, compared with his scheduled NFL rookie salary of $885,000. He was part of a lawsuit brought by more than 30 athletes in Louisiana that secured a temporary restraining order allowing eligible players to return to college in 2026 provided they terminated their pro contracts and repaid earnings; he was reportedly prepared to do this once cut by the Bucs, who had guaranteed him $115,000. However, with the Chiefs now holding his rights, that contract stands, and Pyburn has reportedly withdrawn from the eligibility lawsuit to remain in the NFL.