B.C. Lions add Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff to negotiation list

The BC Lions have added American defenseman 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 while compiling 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 Corona, California native began his collegiate career at Golden West College in 2021 and Riverside City College in 2022. He posted a combined 23-2 record as a starter at both schools.

CFL teams can Claim the rights of up to 45 players through the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Draft and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the roster at any time.

Being added to the negotiation list does not mean a player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are not even aware that their rights have been claimed. Players can only forcefully remove them from the roster if the team does not provide them with the minimum contract offer upon their request.

The BC Lions finished second in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record and beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Finals before losing to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Final. Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 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 offense, fourth in net defense and sixth with a minus-four turnover margin. 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. British Columbia ranked third in attendance with an average attendance of 27,124, up 0.9 percent from the previous year.