TORONTO — He's currently vying for a roster spot with the Cleveland Browns, but if that doesn't pan out, then Canada could be an option for quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders is one of 45 players on the Toronto Argonauts' negotiation list. On Wednesday, the CFL unveiled the full negotiation lists of its nine teams for the first time, which will be updated every 24 hours.
Previously, teams would reveal 10 of their negotiation list players twice a year.
Cleveland selected Sanders in the fifth round of the NFL draft in April. The former Colorado Buffalo -- who had been rated as a first-round prospect -- is part of a crowded Browns quarterback room that also includes veterans Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, along with rookie Dillon Gabriel, a 2025 third-round selection.
CFL teams can have up to 45 players on their negotiation lists. Those players can also be playing in another pro league, still attending college or be current free agents. That gives the Canadian clubs exclusive negotiating rights to those players should they decide to play north of the border.
Players can be added or removed at a team’s discretion on a first-come, first-served basis. Clubs own exclusive rights to those players so long as they’re on a negotiation list.
Negotiation-list players are often a crapshoot, as most never set foot in Canada. But the lists can bear fruit as Hamilton rookie quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa — the younger brother of Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — signed with the Tiger-Cats last year after being placed on their negotiation list but was released before the start of training camp in May.
And in 2018, Hamilton signed Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel after placing him on its negotiation list.
Also on Toronto's list is Sydney Brown, of London, Ont., a defensive back currently with the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles. Brown is one of two Canadians on a CFL neg list, the other being receiver Chase Claypool, of Abbotsford, B.C., an NFL free agent currently on Saskatchewan's list.
Quarterback Max Duggan, who led TCU to the U.S. college football championship game in 2023, is also on Toronto's list.
Also on the Riders' negotiation list is quarterback Trey Lance, who signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers in April. Lance was selected third overall in the 2021 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, who dealt him to the Dallas Cowboys in August 2023.
On May 1, 2024, Dallas declined the fifth-year option on Lance's contract, making him a free agent after the 2024 season.
Ian Book, the winningest quarterback at Notre Dame, is on Winnipeg's negotiation list. Book was with Philadelphia last season.
Also on the Bombers list is former Baylor receiver Denzel Mims, a 2020 second-round pick of the New York Jets.
Edmonton's list features former Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham (currently a receiver with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens) and Kansas receiver Luke Grimm (NFL's Los Angeles Chargers).
Quarterback Tommy Mellott, of Montana State, is on Calgary's list. Mellott was a 2025 sixth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders and will attempt to make the NFL team's roster as a receiver.
And receiver Efton Chism III, who broke Cooper Kupp's all-time receptions record at Eastern Washington, is on the B.C. Lions' list. Chism III signed with the New England Patriots after being bypassed in the NFL draft.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2025.
The Canadian Press
