The B.C. Lions have added American quarterback Jake Retzlaff to their negotiation list. He is currently a senior at Tulane University.
The six-foot-one, 205-pound passer completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,168 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 2025, posting an 11-3 record as a starter. He also rushed 129 times for 634 yards and 16 scores.
The 22-year-old spent the previous two seasons at Brigham Young University where he completed 56.0 percent of his passes for 3,595 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He posted an 11-6 record as a starter and rushed 151 times for 533 yards and nine scores.
The native of Corona, Calif. started his collegiate career at Golden West College in 2021 and Riverside City College in 2022. He went a combined 23-2 as a starter at both schools.
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 B.C. Lions finished second in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record and beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final before losing the West Final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 16 regular-season starts, posting an 11-5 record. He was also named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.
The Lions ranked first in net offence, fourth in net defence, and sixth with a turnover differential of minus-four. James Butler rushed for 1,213 yards, Keon Hatcher led the CFL with 1,688 receiving yards, and Micah Awe led the league with 117 tackles. B.C. finished third in attendance with average crowds of 27,124, which was a 0.9 percent increase from the previous year.
