Winnipeg Blue Bombers add QB Billy Edwards Jr. to negotiation list

Photo: North Carolina Athletics

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have added American quarterback Billy Edwards to their negotiation list. The move was reflected on the CFL’s official tracker on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old is currently a redshirt senior at the University of North Carolina. He has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,872 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions over eight regular-season games in 2026, going 4-4 as a starter.

The six-foot-three, 228-pound passer spent the 2025 season at the University of Wisconsin, though he missed almost the entire year with a knee injury. He completed 43.8 percent of his passes for 113 yards.

The native of Springfield, Va. spent the previous three seasons at the University of Maryland. Edwards Jr. completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Music City Bowl in 2023 after leading the team to a 31-13 win over Auburn University.

Edwards Jr. originally committed to Wake Forest University in 2021, though he did not see any game action and was granted a redshirt.

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 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-9) will visit the Montreal Alouettes (14-4) for the East Final at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 7 with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET. The teams met twice during the regular-season with both teams winning at home.

The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and TSN 690 (English) or 99.5 Montreal (French) in Montreal.