The Kansas City Chiefs claimed undrafted rookie linebacker/edge rusher Jack Pyburn off waivers Monday, a day after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut him, perhaps preventing his return to college football.

As NFL rosters were cut down, Pyburn drew attention for the possibility of returning to his former school, LSU, which has been at the center of the debate over the eligibility status of players with professional experience.

Pyburn’s agents first advised him of the possibility a few months ago as the NCAA simplified its eligibility rules, essentially giving every athlete five years to play five college seasons. The change did not, however, apply to fourth-year seniors (such as Pyburn) who had just completed their eligibility under the previous set of rules. That led to a wave of lawsuits from recruits in the 2022 high school class seeking an extra year.

Pyburn was part of a lawsuit filed by more than 30 other athletes in Louisiana that won a temporary restraining order allowing them to play in college this academic year. To regain their college eligibility, Pyburn and other players who spent time in NFL camps or on preseason rosters would need to terminate their pro contracts and repay any pro earnings. Pyburn’s deal with the Bucs guaranteed him $115,000, including a $15,000 signing bonus.

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The Chiefs also claimed undrafted defensive tackle Bryson Eason from the San Francisco 49ers.

In total, 29 players were claimed Monday, including a whopping seven by the Miami Dolphins, who added quarterback Brady Cook from the New York Jets and tight end Justin Joly — the highest-drafted rookie (No. 152) to be cut Sunday — from the Denver Broncos.

The Philadelphia Eagles had a league-high four players claimed, while the Chiefs had three.

All waiver claimsAtlanta Falcons

LB Yasir Abdullah (from Jaguars)

LB Jared Ivey (Seahawks)

OT Cameron Williams (Eagles)

Carolina Panthers

C Corey Bullock (Ravens)

Cincinnati Bengals

OT Myles Hinton (Eagles)

Cleveland Browns

DB Toriano Pride (Bills)

Dallas Cowboys

RB Emari Demercado (Chiefs)

Indianapolis Colts

DB Kapena Gushiken (Eagles)

Kansas City Chiefs

DT Bryson Eason (49ers)

LB Jack Pyburn (Buccaneers)

Las Vegas Raiders

CB Darrell Luter (49ers)

Miami Dolphins

QB Brady Cook (Jets)

DB Marcellas Dial (Patriots)

OT Chukwuebuka Godrick (Chiefs)

TE Justin Joly (Broncos)

OT Jarrett Kingston (Texans)

DB Reese Taylor (Broncos)

DB Julius Wood (Cowboys)

Minnesota Vikings

G Trevor Keegan (Cowboys)

C Nick Samac (Panthers)

New England Patriots

TE Cameron Latu (Eagles)

LB Darius Muasau (Giants)

New Orleans Saints

OT Mason Murphy (Bears)

DT Colby Wooden (Colts)

New York Jets

K Blake Grupe (Colts)

LB Trevin Wallace (Panthers)

Tennessee Titans

LB Owen Pappoe (Cardinals)

DB Melvin Smith (Chiefs)

DT Nazir Stackhouse (Packers)

Why the Chiefs claimed Pyburn

When The Athletic’s Dane Brugler profiled Pyburn in his 2026 version of “The Beast,” Brugler described him this way: “Pyburn doesn’t offer much upside as a pass rusher, but he is stout versus the run and competes with a touch of insanity to him (in a good way).”

Without seeing the name, I might have thought he was describing former Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal — a versatile, key player for the team the past four years before he signed with Washington in free agency this offseason.

The comp isn’t perfect. Chenal was a third-round pick and a freak athletically; Pyburn does not have the same explosiveness or speed, which led to him going undrafted in 2026.

Still, it’s not difficult to see the Chiefs finding a Chenal-like role for Pyburn as an edge/linebacker hybrid who also profiles as an immediate key contributor on special teams.

Kansas City didn’t add a true Chenal replacement in the offseason, so Pyburn makes sense as a roster addition who will start as a special-teamer with the potential to develop into more. — Jesse Newell, Chiefs writer