Seahawks RB T.J. Harden Has Shocking New Plan After Release

Former Seattle Seahawks running back T.J. Harden is looking for a new team for the upcoming season after he was cut earlier this week.

In an unprecedented move, Harden is heading back to college football after he was granted an additional year of eligibility thanks to a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the NCAA from a court in Louisiana. Harden is among a handful of undrafted free agents that are being granted the opportunity to return to college.

"Some programs have been reaching out to agents with a specific pitch. First-year players who get cut and who are looking at a year on the practice squad, at best, should consider returning to college for another season," Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote.

"The possibility raises many questions, for everyone. Will a school have roster spots? Will a player have to surrender any money he made (signing bonus, per diem, etc.) before returning to school?

"For the player, the most obvious question would be the amount he could earn in another year of college football versus the money to be made on the practice squad, with the possibility of performing well enough to be signed to an active roster. Which could entail earning an accrued season, and all of the long-term benefits that go along with it."

What This Means Moving Forward

Dallas Cowboys safety Julius Wood tackles Seattle Seahawks running back TJ Harden. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Given the recent developments over the years in regards to NIL and college athletes having the chance to be paid, some athletes are arguing why they can't try and pursue those opportunities.

This has also happened in college basketball, where players selected in the NBA Draft have gone back to school to exhaust their remaining years of eligibility when opportunities in the pros dry out. James Nnaji, the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, played overseas for a few years and went to Baylor for the latter half of the 2025-26 season. He transferred to George Mason for the 2026-27 campaign.

Doing things compared to how it was before, but with the new landscape, these athletes deserve to have every opportunity afforded to them to go out and earn a living. Planning to become a professional athlete, and when one door closes, that doesn't mean all of the doors have to close.

Harden will have a chance to enter the transfer portal and try to catch on with a program, but the college football season is set to start in the next couple of weeks, so his options may be limited.

If he can find a place at a lucrative program that will give him the opportunity to play, all power to him. It's just a tough situation for him to be in, but he is trying every avenue possible, and that alone should be admired.

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