Wesley Bissainthe’s Kansas City Chiefs tenure ended Saturday, just four months after he arrived as an undrafted rookie linebacker.
Bissainthe is simultaneously fighting in court for one more season in college at Miami, and a judge just handed him fresh leverage to make that happen.
Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports reported that Bissainthe was the first player waived as cuts began Saturday, part of Kansas City’s trim to the NFL’s 53-man roster limit. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported separately that the rookie is weighing a return to college rather than chasing a practice-squad spot in the pros.
How Kansas City Acquired Wesley Bissainthe
Bissainthe went undrafted out of Miami in April and signed with Kansas City days later, landing a three-year, $3.11 million rookie contract that included $160,000 guaranteed. His 2026 cap number sat at $888,333 against Kansas City’s books, according to Over The Cap.
He was the only linebacker Kansas City signed out of the 2026 draft class, according to Arrowhead Pride. Preseason scouting had already flagged him as a long shot for the 53-man roster and a more likely fit for the practice squad, with evaluators pointing to his struggles shedding blocks against the run despite promising coverage instincts.
Kansas City’s linebacker room was never thin on paper, with Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Jeffrey Bassa and Jack Cochrane atop the depth chart all summer. Bissainthe lost the competition for the spots that remained, though a practice-squad path could still reopen if he clears waivers and does not resume his college career.
Why Bissainthe Can Still Return to College
The NCAA moved to let athletes compete in five seasons across a five-year window, and a group of players who exhausted their eligibility under the old four-year cap sued for that fifth season. Bissainthe joined the case as a plaintiff, alongside fellow Chiefs undrafted free agent wide receiver Omari Evans and Dallas Cowboys receiver Jordan Hudson, according to a report on the eligibility fight by ESPN.
A Dallas judge sided with the players Thursday, issuing a temporary restraining order barring the NCAA, the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey from blocking their return. “They are eligible today,” Dallas County Judge Martin Hoffman wrote in the order, as quoted by The Boston Globe.
The SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 had each separately adopted rules barring players who signed pro contracts from returning, a policy the judge’s order does not directly overturn outside the SEC. Whether Miami — or any program — actually adds Bissainthe back to its roster remains unresolved.
Bissainthe’s college resumé explains the interest. A four-star recruit out of Miami Central Senior High School, he was ranked among the nation’s top linebackers by 247Sports before signing with the Hurricanes.
Over four seasons, he piled up 204 career tackles across 54 games, including a senior year that brought third-team All-ACC honors and a start in the College Football Playoff National Championship, a game Miami lost to Indiana. That final season alone brought 71 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in 16 games.
He wore No. 31 at Miami and No. 59 in Kansas City. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, now faces a decision of his own: fight for an NFL landing spot, or send his client back to campus for one final college season.
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