The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have added big-bodied American quarterback Jack Strand to their negotiation list.
The six-foot-five, 240-pound passer is currently a senior at Minnesota State University Moorhead, an NCAA Division II program. In 2025, he completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,546 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions, while also rushing 112 times for 288 yards and five scores.
The native of Bloomer, Wis. has completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 13,161 yards, 126 touchdowns, and 50 interceptions over 42 games on campus. He has received many accolades over his tenure with the Dragons, earning two All-Conference selections, a nomination for the Harlon Hill Trophy, and the NSIC Offensive Player of the Year award.
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 finished first in the East Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record, though the team lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Bo Levi Mitchell led the CFL with 5,296 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions after starting all 18 regular-season games, earning the East Division’s nomination for Most Outstanding Player.
The Tiger-Cats ranked third in net offence, eighth in net defence, and first with a turnover differential of plus-ten. The club’s leading rusher was Greg Bell with 1,038 yards, leading receiver was Kenny Lawler with 1,443 yards, and leading tackler was Stavros Katsantonis with 69 tackles. Hamilton ranked fourth in attendance with average crowds of 22,858, which was a 3.9 percent increase from the previous year.
