Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken walked back earlier remarks suggesting that LSU’s Lane Kiffin called him about Dae’Quan Wright, the just in twist in a bizarre transfer portal saga involving the former NFL tight end. Kiffin publicly denied the conversation happened, saying Monday there were “inaccuracies” in Monken’s story and that he does not have his number or know him personally.
Monken initially claimed last week that Kiffin reached out regarding Wright’s availability and possible return to college football. Now, Monken agrees that no such call took place, clearing up a claim that quickly generated headlines across the sport.
“First off, I should not … one of our staff had stated, that’s why I stated ‘us’ and not ‘me’ … one of our staff had stated they had gotten a text,” Monken stated. “I should’ve followed through with it. Maybe they meant someone from (LSU’s) staff. That’s on me. Should not throw someone’s name on there without following through on it.
“I was just making light of it. I was really not trying to make a big thing of it. I was just like, ‘man, what this world has come to.’ It was almost silliness and goofiness. It’s really not a big deal other than I probably shouldn’t have (stated that) without following through.”
Monken, who has worked at LSU previously (2005-06) and most recently served as Kirby Smart’s offensive coordinator at Georgia, before joining the Baltimore Ravens and Browns.
“I’ve never had to deal with (this),” Monken stated. “It happens in college with everybody. They catch word of something. You have players on your own team, ‘I’m catching word from so and so that they’re thinking about entering the portal.’ It’s word of mouth. They’re not going to come to you. It was a weird situation. He got hurt, he’s going back to college and it is what it is.
“Good luck to him. He’s a good kid. And they’re going to do a great job at LSU. That’s what they should do. Their job is to get the best players they can and to win games. I’m not mad at anybody. Like I stated, I shouldn’t have taken what I’d heard and ran with it.”
Wright makes history in transfer portal
Wright’s decision to enter the transfer portal after reaching the NFL would have sounded absurd not long ago. Now, amid courtroom victories, temporary restraining orders and eligibility rulings that continue to erase the sport’s old boundaries, it represents another opportunity.
Kiffin is not responsible for cleaning up the NCAA’s mess. He is responsible for building LSU’s roster, and if the rules — or a judge — allow him to pursue an NFL player, he likely sees it as negligent not to make the call.
“Because of the rulings, they are going to play for you or someone else,” Kiffin stated. “We made the decision to recruit them. It’s wrong to be critical of these kids. They were granted a fifth year and a judge stated they were wronged.”
Agent Drew Rosenhaus validated that multiple teams called about Wright, but LSU was the winner. The Browns waived Wright, and if he clears waivers, he will be part of LSU’s 2026 roster, per Rosenhaus.
Wright initially signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted rookie before landing with the Browns following his release earlier this month.
Kiffin is familiar with Wright, who played his final two collegiate seasons at Ole Miss. One of the offense’s top targets, Wright recorded 39 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns at tight end.
