Edmonton Elks drop rights to Canadian NFL player Isaiah Adams

Photo: Arizona Cardinals

Isaiah Adams’ tenure on the Edmonton Elks’ negotiation list was short-lived.

The team dropped the exclusive CFL rights to the NFL offensive lineman on Wednesday, just one day after claiming them. The move was reflected on the CFL’s official tracker.

The six-foot-four, 315-pound blocker made international headlines this week after he was assessed multiple firearm-related charges in his home province of Ontario.

The Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) recently executed a warrant at a residence in Pickering, Ont., where law enforcement found a loaded firearm with a prohibited overcapacity magazine, which the DRPS have determined was reported stolen from the United States. Police also found a replica Uzi during their search of the home.

Allyson Mae Adams, who was taken into custody from the residence, was assessed multiple firearm-related charges. Isaiah Adams subsequently turned himself in and was assessed the same charges.

According to the DRPS, all suspects were held for a bail hearing. None of the charges have been tested in court.

Adams was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He has since played 32 regular-season games over two seasons with the team and made 16 starts, including 11 in 2025.

The Ajax native was the top-ranked prospect in the 2024 CFL Draft, though he went unselected given his high level of interest from the NFL.

The 26-year-old started his collegiate career at the Wilfrid Laurier University before moving on to Garden City Community College and the University of Illinois.

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.

In a corresponding move, the Elks added American offensive lineman Gavin Ortega to their negotiation list.

The 22-year-old signed with the Denver Broncos after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Weber State, where he earned a first-team All-Big Sky selection in 2025.

The Edmonton Elks (5-1) will visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-1) at Mosaic Stadium on Thursday, July 23 with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 p.m. EDT. The Elks survived a late scare to beat the B.C. Lions this past week, while the Roughriders were on bye.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 31 degrees and sun. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 880 CHED in Edmonton or 620 CKRM in Regina.