Cincinnati Bengals Player Leaves Team For ‘Lead Role in Big Movie’

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Cincinnati Bengals Player Leaves Team For ‘Lead Role in Big Movie’

Cincinnati Bengals Player Leaves Team For ‘Lead Role in Big Movie’

Andrew Buller-Russ

Sun, Aug 16, 2026 ·

2 min read

Cornerback Ceyair Wright Leaves Cincinnati Bengals To Become An Actor

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jordan Moore (14) catches a pass as Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Ceyair J Wright (22) defends during Bengals practice at the Kettering Practice Fields in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thursday, August 6, 2026.Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Bengals just played their first preseason game on Thursday. By Sunday, one of their players had already decided to walk away from the game, temporarily.

On Saturday, the Bengals placed cornerback Ceyair Wright on the reserve/left team list, and they replaced him with Matthew McDoom.

According to Bengals radio voice Dan Hoard, Wright left the Bengals to " pursue TV/film opportunities ." While that move may be surprising on the surface, Wright may have a good case here.

Chances are, you may have already seen him on TV. Wright portrayed LeBron James's son in Space Jam: A New Legacy in 2021. He's also appeared in an episode of Instant Mom, 2 Broke Girls, Training Day , and earned a recurring role on Grown-ish.

Interestingly, KPRC's Aaron Wilson reports that Wright was offered a "lead role in a big movie" that is expected to finish filming in October. Once his project is complete, Wright intends to return to his football career.

Ceyair Wright was offered a lead role in a big movie that he couldn't pass up. Filming will end in late October and he will be available to play then. Not giving up football, per source #Bengals #NFL #hollywood https://t.co/BTzSOQUORN

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 15, 2026

The 23-year-old cornerback spent three seasons at USC and his final two at Nebraska. Wright went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, but he recorded two tackles in Thursday's 16-14 win over the Detroit Lions . Exactly what movie he's said to be working on has not yet been revealed.