The B.C. Lions have added American quarterback Kai Horton to their negotiation list.
Horton spent the 2025 season at the University of Washington as the backup to Demond Williams Jr., whose CFL rights are also owned by the Lions. He saw action in four games, completing seven of 13 pass attempts for 98 yards. He also ran for nine yards and two touchdowns.
The six-foot-four, 222-pound pivot transferred from Tulane University, where he saw action in 13 games over four seasons. He completed 64-of-123 passes for 833 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions with the Blue Wave, while running for a pair of touchdowns.
The native of Carthage, Tex., was a three-star recruit coming out of high school, where he led his school to back-to-back 4A Texas State Championships.
Horton is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, but is not expected to be selected. At Washington’s recent pro day, he posted a 4.82-second forty-yard dash, 32.5-inch vertical, nine-foot, six-inch vertical, 4.25-second short shuttle, and 7.04-second three-cone.
CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.
Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.
The B.C. Lions signed defensive lineman Casey Sayles and linebacker Darnell Sankey after they were released by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes, respectively, though the team was relatively inactive in free agency. The team’s major departure was All-CFL offensive lineman Jarell Broxton, who signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Lions hold the seventh overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. B.C. will play its first preseason game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, May 23, and its first regular-season game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, June 13.
In 2025, B.C. finished second in the West Division standings with an 11-7 record. They beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final but lost the West Final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Franchise quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions to be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.
