Saskatchewan Roughriders add former Louisville QB turned NFL receiver to negotiation list

Photo courtesy: Shawn Hubbard/Baltimore Ravens

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have added American quarterback Malik Cunningham to their exclusive negotiation list.

Cunningham attended the University of Louisville, where he appeared in 56 games and made 47 starts. He completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 9,664 yards, 70 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions. The six-foot, 198-pound pivot also rushed 619 times for 3,182 yards and 50 touchdowns.

The 28-year-old went unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft, but signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent, where he spent the majority of the season on the practice roster. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens late in the year and converted to receiver the following offseason. He later spent time with the Detroit Lions, appearing in one game with each franchise and rushing once for a single yard.

The native of Montgomery, Ala., has been a free agent since August 30, when he was released by Detroit as part of final roster cuts.

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 Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-7) will visit the Montreal Alouettes (12-3) on Monday, October 12, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EDT. The Roughriders are coming off an upset loss to the Calgary Stampeders, while the Alouettes crushed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina and TSN 690 (English) or 99.5 Montreal (French) in Montreal.