Hamilton Tiger-Cats add QB Caden Veltkamp to negotiation list

Photo: JC Ridley/Florida Atlantic

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have added American quarterback Caden Veltkamp to their negotiation list. The move was reflected on the CFL’s official tracker on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old is a redshirt senior at Florida Atlantic University. He’s completed 72.3 percent of his passes for 1,180 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions through four regular-season games.

The six-foot-five, 236-pound passer went 4–8 as a start in 2025, when he completed 67.0 percent of his passes for 3,641 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions.

The native of Bowling Green, Ky. spent his first three collegiate seasons at Western Kentucky University, where he went 6-5 as a starter in 2024. He completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,108 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions that year to be named second-team All-Conference and the Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

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 do not have CFL veteran status. 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 (4-11) will visit the Ottawa Redblacks (0-14) on Friday, October 2 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Tiger-Cats were eliminated from playoff contention following last week’s loss to Edmonton, while the Redblacks continued their winless season against Calgary.

The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton or TSN 1200 in Ottawa.