CFL team claims negotiation rights to Shedeur Sanders

If the NFL does not work out for Shedeur Sanders, he could look north of the border for a professional football opportunity.

On Monday, the Toronto Argonauts added Sanders to their negotiation list. With the move, the Argonauts claim the rights to Sanders if he seeks to play in the CFL.

CFL by-laws state that teams can claim exclusive rights for up to 45 players by placing them on their negotiation lists,” per the league website. “Players can be added, removed or traded from the lists at any time.

Sanders has long had his sights set on playing in the NFL. The former Colorado quarterback’s fall to Round 5 after first-round projections was the biggest story of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Cleveland Browns made the curious decision to take Sanders in the fifth round after previously taking Dillon Gabriel in Round 3. With Deshaun Watson expected to miss time in 2025 after a ruptured Achilles, Cleveland has 4 quarterbacks competing for roster spots.

Before the draft, the Browns acquired veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. It’s not immediately clear if Cleveland plans to have 3 quarterbacks on the active roster to take advantage of the emergency quarterback rule. A majority of teams only carry 2 QBs on the active roster.

We’ll see what happens with Sanders’ professional career path. If Cleveland doesn’t work out, he has an opportunity waiting for him in Toronto.

The @TorontoArgos added quarterback Shedeur Sanders to their @CFL negotiation list TODAY. #CFL #Argos

— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) April 28, 2025

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.