The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have added American quarterback Rocco Becht to their negotiation list.
The 21-year-old passer is a redshirt junior at Iowa State University where he has thrown for 8,920 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions over 40 collegiate games. He has also rushed for 471 yards and 19 scores.
Becht was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2023 and the MVP of the Pop-Tarts Bowl in 2024.
The native of Wesley Chapel, Fla. is the son of Anthony Becht, who played 11 seasons in the NFL at tight end with the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, and Kansas City Chiefs. He is currently the head coach of the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL.
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 Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 13 regular-season games, going 6-7 as a starter.
The Blue Bombers ranked fifth in net offence, third in net defence, and eighth with a turnover differential of minus-eleven. The club’s leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, leading receiver was Nic Demski with 1,001 yards, and leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with average crowds of 32,343, which was a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year.
