Shedeur Sanders' CFL Negotiating Rights Acquired by Toronto Argonauts

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has a fallback option at his disposal if the NFL doesn't work out for some reason.

According to TSN's Marshall Ferguson, the CFL's Toronto Argonauts added Sanders to the group of 45 players that the team wants on its negotiation list.

The CFL's negotiation list is where teams can claim a player's rights if they ever decide to pursue a football career in Canada's league.

The Browns traded up to select Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, adding him with the No. 144 overall pick.

While it's unlikely that Cleveland will release the former Colorado standout before the start of his rookie season, he's still competing with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and 2025 third-round pick Dillon Gabriel for the team's Week 1 starting job.

Sanders looked sharp during the team's five offseason practices open to the media, completing 41 of his 53 pass attempts and tossing nine touchdowns compared to just one interception.

Still, he doesn't appear to be the favorite to land the top spot on Cleveland's depth chart entering Week 1.

Sanders was the only one of the four Browns quarterbacks vying for the starting role to take no first-team reps in the spring, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic.

Even if he isn't able to win the first-string job as a rookie, Sanders could be a long-term option for Cleveland following an impressive 2024 campaign with the Buffaloes. Both Flacco and Pickett are set to enter free agency at the end of the 2025 season.

Sanders completed 74.0 percent of his throws for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns while getting picked off 10 times during his senior season in Colorado.