The Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday processed a pair of CFL return specialists in Trey Vaval of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Isaiah Wooden Sr. of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, according to NFL transactions.
Vaval was recently named the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player. He led the league in punt return yards (957), punt return yards (391) and total punt return touchdowns (four) in 2025, while also ranking third in all-purpose yards (2,266) and fifth in field goal yards (918).
He also started four games at defensive back for Winnipeg, recording 21 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles and one interception.
The 25-year-old finished his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota, where he recorded 69 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 14 pass breakups, five blocks, two interceptions, two touchdowns and one sack over 25 games.
The five-foot-eleven, 171-pound speedster from Blue Springs, Missouri, attended training camp with the Falcons in 2024 before heading to Canada.
Vaval has currently trained for six NFL teams, including New Orleans Saints new york jets Cleveland Browns, Minnesota VikingsAnd Denver Broncos.
Wooden played 14 regular season games for the Tiger-Cats in 2025, leading the CFL in punt return average (15.0) and ranking second in kickoff return average (26.3). The 25-year-old Southern Utah product recorded 1,782 total yards and three return touchdowns despite suffering a midseason hand injury.
The five-foot-nine, 170-pound speedster first signed with the BC Lions in 2024 and spent time on the team's practice squad, although he was later released and signed in Hamilton. He reportedly ran the forty-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at his pro day last year.
Wooden has coached for five NFL teams, including New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Cleveland BrownsAnd Denver Broncos.
NFL Practice Window opened on Monday, November 17th.. The window to sign with an NFL team opens January 5, 2026 and ends February 10, 2026 at 12:01 pm EST.
NFL teams must request permission from CFL franchises to train players, and that request cannot be denied. CFL players can opt out of their agreements north of the border if an NFL team offers a contract, although their CFL team retains its rights for the duration of the existing contract.
Wooden is a pending CFL free agent, and Vaval has one more season left on his current contract.
The Falcons currently sit in third place in the NFC South with a 5-9 record and have already been eliminated from playoff contention. They visit the Arizona Cardinals (3-11) on Sunday, December 21st at 4:05 pm EST.
