“Jabari Mack back on the team, 5-5 rule”

So he’s in the same situation as Junior Tuihalamaka? You know, the guy that played for LSU last night…

There is a tremendous amount of nuance to this entire situation. After weeks of research, I am fully supportive of all 2022 athletes receiving the additional year of eligibility they were afforded.

When we look specifically at the differences between going unsigned, receiving a rookie minicamp invitation, and actually participating in an NFL training camp, there is another layer of nuance that is not commonly researched or discussed.

In this particular case, Jabari Mack would seem to have the strongest argument for eligibility because he did not attend an NFL team-related workout as far as we know. However, under the applicable amateurism standard, he still falls into essentially the same category as a vast majority of 5-for-5 football players, because he too took steps to waive his amateur status in an attempt to pursue a professional career.

The distinction is important for amateurism vs. professionalism purposes. How that distinction should be treated across leagues remains an open question.

In the case of Harris and Smith, I find the argument compelling that simply being talented enough to earn a rookie minicamp invitation or make an NFL training camp should not result in a greater eligibility penalty than someone who pursued the same professional opportunity but did not advance as far in the process.