Breakout CFL player Tyler Kahmann taking possible NFL opportunities in stride

Photo: Guang Quan/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the NFL has taken notice of CFL receiver Tyler Kahmann.

The 26-year-old was recently named the league’s Most Outstanding Rookie. He caught 77 passes for 1,092 yards and eight touchdowns over 18 regular-season games with the Toronto Argonauts, establishing himself as one of the league’s top young targets.

Though he’s not yet sure how the offseason will play out, Kahmann is planning to take advantage of NFL workouts if they arise.

“It’s one day at a time. I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but there might be opportunities. I really don’t know for sure yet,” he said on Sunday.

“I think you just take it day by day, and if those opportunities present themselves, you go do it and you do what you can. If not, I love the CFL. I love being up here, I love playing this game, and I’ll be happy with however it turns out next year.”

There is recent precedent for CFL Most Outstanding Rookies getting NFL opportunities.

Defensive back Qwan’tez Stiggers, who won the award with the Boatmen in 2023, was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He has since played 37 regular-season games with the team, recording 41 total tackles, one tackle for loss, five fumble recoveries, and three pass knockdowns.

Edmonton Elks linebacker Nick Anderson worked out for the New Orleans Saints after being named Most Outstanding Rookie in 2024, while Winnipeg Blue Bombers return specialist Trey Vaval worked out for six NFL teams after winning the award in 2025. Neither player ended up signing down south, but they both drew interest.

The same could be true for Kahmann, who quickly mastered the waggle in order to generate big numbers in the Canadian game.

“In college, they moved me around a lot, so I was motioning 60 percent of my snaps, and I think that had a lot to do with why I was able to pick up the waggle so fast up here. In the NFL, some of those teams are motioning 75 percent of the snaps, so I think I got a lot of preparation for the waggle from my college,” said the native of Haysville, Kan.

“Coming in last year (on the practice roster), I think I knew this game really fit the way I play football. I think I believed and was confident in myself that I could come out and produce and perform, but not to this extent. It’s a lot on my teammates, too, obviously, having Chad (Kelly) back there, so there’s a lot that goes into it, but I had a lot of confidence in myself.”

The six-foot-three, 206-pound target played collegiately at Emporia State University, an NCAA Division II program located in his home state. He broke several records during his time on campus, including single-season receptions (101), single-season receiving yards (1,488), and single-season touchdown catches (20).

Emporia State has a produced a handful of professional football players, most recently defensive back Jeff Richards, who had stints with the Ottawa Redblacks, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, Argonauts, and Edmonton Elks.

Kahmann had a brief stint on the practice roster with the Indianapolis Colts prior to joining the Argonauts, though he’ll likely get a fresh round of NFL interest based on his CFL success.

The Double Blue’s season came to a disappointing finish on Saturday with a 25-22 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East Semi-Final. The Boatmen held a 19-10 lead late into the third quarter, but weren’t able to put the game away.

“There’s a lot of ups and downs, a lot of momentum swings. The turnovers — our defence did a great job, and we just couldn’t find ways to score down in the red zone,” said Kahmann. “You get down there three times, kick three field goals — that’s not winning football. This offseason, we’ve got to look at how we can get in the end zone in those situations.”

Kahmann plans to spend the offseason in Kansas, where he works out with his strength and conditioning coach from Emporia State. Depending on how things work out, he’ll be back in Toronto for next year’s training camp or under contract in the NFL.

“You’ve gotta take a little bit of time after the season. It’s a long season, and then you’ve gotta get ready — that’s what being a professional football player is,” said Kahmann. “You’ve kind of always got to be ready, getting in shape after a week or so off. I’ll go back to where I trained at this offseason and go back to work.”

The Toronto Argonauts (9-9) were eliminated from CFL playoff contention by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East Semi-Final. Click here for the team’s list of pending free agents.