Since leaving the Nebraska football program, Ceyair Wright looked like he had a very good chance of catching on with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent. While his new head coach, Zac Taylor, believed the defensive back was ascending, Wright decided to pause his NFL career and pursue acting instead.
On Saturday, the Bengals confirmed that Wright left the team in the middle of fall camp. Originally, it said he was “pursuing other options,” but it soon became clear that the former Husker got an acting offer he “couldn’t refuse.”
“I don’t know how to properly define it for him,” Taylor told reporters on Saturday. “He called us last night and let us know that he had an opportunity. I know it was a difficult decision for him. I think two things he’s really passionate about were colliding, and he decided to pursue this opportunity.”
Taylor, a former Nebraska quarterback, pointed out his connection to Ceyair Wright, as both were from the same school, though obviously different generations of Cornhuskers.
Zac Taylor shared details on Ceyair Wright’s decision to leave the Bengals. The rookie cornerback is also an actor and was cast in Space Jam 2 with LeBron James in 2021. pic.twitter.com/o0YQt8lavW
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) August 15, 2026
Ceyair Wright leaves Bengals to pursue acting after Nebraska football career
“He’s a great kid, comes from a great university. And, you know, we wish him the best. He was fun to be around. He really competed hard for us. It was fun watching him play. I thought he was ascending as a player. But, obviously, he’s chosen to go a different path.”
The path didn’t materialize out of thin air. Wright has a pretty impressive resume as a child actor, with his last project being the Space Jam remake. He also appeared in 15 episodes of the popular ABC sitcom, Grown-ish.
It appears that when Wright started playing college football, he left the acting world behind, but it’s clear that the call to come back to Hollywood was a little too strong now that he’s left Nebraska.
NFL analyst Aaron Wilson pointed out that while Wright has now also paused his football career, he’s not giving it up for good. Wilson said that the ex-Nebraska star’s project will finish filming in October. The talented defensive back expects to be available then.
As an undrafted free agent, and with the Bengals removing him from their 90-man roster, Wright can sign with any team that wants him when he returns. Considering Taylor’s comments, it sounds like there will be a decent number of suitors. It’s even possible Cincinnati would be willing to sign him to another deal.
While he started his career at USC, he had several problems with the Trojans and was eventually dismissed from the team, making his way to Lincoln. Since joining the Huskers, he’s been a model teammate and student, earning Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award nods.
2025 was Ceyair Wright’s best season with Nebraska, playing in all 13 games with nine starts. He recorded 29 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks and a team-high 5 pass breakups. He was a key player in a Husker secondary that ranked third nationally in pass defense. Wright was recognized for his excellence when he was named a midseason second-team All-American by The Athletic in October. Wright was also an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection.
The former Nebraska corner also impressed once he started appearing in postseason events. He appeared in the Shrine Bowl prep and the Senior Bowl, and onlookers commented on his play against some of his best peers in the game.
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