Hamilton Tiger-Cats add QB Jarrett Guarantano to negotiation list

Photo courtesy: Denver Broncos

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have added American quarterback Jarrett Guarantano to their exclusive negotiation list.

This marks the third different CFL team to hold Guarantano’s rights in the past year. He was previously claimed by the Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but dropped on both occasions.

The 28-year-old last saw action for the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL in 2025. He completed 40 percent of his passes for 29 yards and one interception with the team, seeing action in two regular-season games. In 2024, he completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 301 yards with the Houston Roughnecks.

The native of Lodi, N.J., originally joined the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He signed with the Denver Broncos later that year but didn’t see any regular-season snaps with the team.

The six-foot-three, 219-pound passer played collegiately at the University of Tennessee for five years before transferring to Washington State University for his final season, where he played only two games due to a knee injury. In total, he completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 6,478 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions over 44 collegiate games.

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 added several talented players in free agency, including quarterback Tre Ford, receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr., linebacker Wynton McManis, and returner Mario Alford. The team’s key departures included running back Greg Bell (Ottawa Redblacks), receiver Tim White (Winnipeg Blue Bombers), offensive lineman Coulter Woodmansey (Edmonton Elks), and defensive back DaShaun Amos (Toronto Argonauts).

The Tiger-Cats hold the fifth overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. Hamilton will play its first preseason game against the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday, May 23, and its first regular-season game against the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, June 4.

In 2025, Hamilton finished first in the East Division standings with an 11-7 record, though the team lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes.