CFL's Toronto Argonauts add Shedeur Sanders to negotiation list after 2025 NFL Draft

Another professional football team is interested in Shedeur Sanders. The CFL‘s Toronto Argonauts have added the former Colorado quarterback to their negotiation list, per Dave Naylor of TSN.

The Cleveland Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft this past Saturday. But should Sanders decide to pursue an opportunity to play in the CFL, the Argonauts have the first chance to sign him. The Argonauts are the reigning CFL champions.

“CFL by-laws state that teams can claim exclusive rights for up to 45 players by placing them on their negotiation lists,” the league’s official website states. “Players can be added, removed or traded from the lists at any time.”

Sanders, once thought to be a surefire first round pick, slipped all the way to pick No. 144. Since then, multiple reports have stated that Sanders’ handling of the pre-draft process contributed to his fall. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the 23-year-old “sandbagged” some interviews with teams at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“At some of those [combine] meetings with certain teams that maybe Shedeur Sanders didn’t really want to go to, didn’t see himself going to for any number of reasons, maybe they had a starting quarterback installed there — I was told that he more or less sandbagged in those interviews,” Jones said Saturday. “I don’t know if he didn’t take them seriously, what it was. But he did not give it his all in some of those interviews. Rubbed some teams the wrong way.”

Shedeur Sanders slides to Day 3 of 2025 NFL Draft

Five quarterbacks came off the board before Sanders heard his name called: Cam Ward (pick No. 1), Jaxson Dart (No. 25), Tyler Shough (No. 40), Jalen Milroe (No. 92) and Dillon Gabriel (No. 94). The latter was also taken by the Browns, two rounds earlier. Browns general manger Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski eventually pulled the trigger on Sanders.

“I’d just say it was probably a mixture of like, you know, gratitude, relief and determination,” Berry said of Sanders’ reaction on Saturday following the conclusion of Day 3 of the draft. “That would probably be the best way to characterize it. But he’s certainly ready to go.”