Hamilton Tiger-Cats add free agent QB Jake Retzlaff to negotiation list

Photo: Tulane Athletics

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have added American quarterback Jake Retzlaff to their negotiation list. The move was reflected on the CFL’s official tracker on Monday. His rights previously belonged to the B.C. Lions.

The six-foot-one, 205-pound passer went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft. He has been a free agent since.

The native of Corona, Calif. finished his collegiate career at Tulane University in 2025. He completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,168 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 2025, posting an 11-3 record as a starter. He also rushed 129 times for 634 yards and 16 scores.

The 23-year-old spent the previous two seasons at Brigham Young University where he completed 56.0 percent of his passes for 3,595 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He posted an 11-6 record as a starter and rushed 151 times for 533 yards and nine scores.

Retzlaff started his collegiate career at Golden West College in 2021 and Riverside City College in 2022. He went a combined 23-2 as a starter at both schools.

In a corresponding move, the Tiger-Cats dropped the exclusive CFL rights to Ethan Garbers, who has been a member of the Carolina Panthers, Madrid Bravos, and Frankfurt Galaxy since going unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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 Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-8) will host the Toronto Argonauts (5-6) at Hamilton Stadium on Monday, September 7 with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EDT. Last week, the Argonauts squandered a 22-9 lead to lose to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, while the Tiger-Cats lost on a last-minute touchdown to the Calgary Stampeders.

The weather forecast in Hamilton calls for a high of 23 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the U.S., and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on TSN 1050 in Toronto or the Ticats Audio Network.