Max Duggan

Updated Slate Of NFL Players On CFL Negotiation List Revealed

The Canadian Football League has long used a negotiation list for its teams to acquire the rights to active NFL players. That remains the case in 2025, and after a few updates were revealed earlier the full list is now available.

A recent piece from TSN’s Marshall Ferguson breaks down nine of the most notable names who have been added to the list recently. These players are not assured of heading north of the border at any point in their careers, of course. The list merely dictates which CFL teams own their negotiating rights in the event they do attempt to play in the league.

Shedeur Sanders is among the members of the 2025 (NFL) draft class who have been added recently. His CFL rights belong to the Toronto Argonauts. Any time spent north of the border would certainly come as a surprise, as the fifth-round rookie is positioned to occupy at least a depth role with the Browns for the coming years. A path to the starting gig could also emerge depending on how the team’s four-man competition plays out this summer. Fellow quarterback Max Duggan – who has spent time in the Chargers’ organization and with the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks – is also on the Argonauts’ list.

Other signal-callers who find themselves on the negotiation list include former Saints draftee Ian Book (who has made just one regular season appearance in his career) and New Mexico State/Vanderbilt product Diego Pavia. The rights to both of them belong to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, meanwhile, have added former Colts UDFA Kedon Slovis to their negotiation list.

In addition to Trey Lance, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have the rights to Canadian Chase Claypool. The former second-rounder flashed considerable potential with the Steelers, but an ill-fated trade acquisition on the part of the Bears did not pan out as hoped. Claypool, 26, was unable to carve out a regular role with the Dolphins in 2023 and missed last season due to injury.

Another Canadian on the list is Eagles safety Sydney Brown. The London, Ontario native’s rights belong to Toronto, although his attention will of course remain focused on helping Philadelphia repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2025. Fellow defensive back Steven Gilmore – the younger brother of Stephon Gilmore – has been added to the BC Lions’ negotiation list.

Negotiating rights can (and do) get traded in the CFL based on positional need when teams attempt to acquire players such as the ones listed above. The end of NFL training camps brings about roster cuts and, oftentimes, an influx of players north of the border during the middle of the CFL campaign. The current team-player pairings on the negotiation list will be key in determining where players who wind up becoming available land in the event they attempt to continue their careers in Canada.

Justin Herbert Returns To Practice; Chargers Waive QB Max Duggan

Justin Herbert returned to practice Monday, putting to rest any concerns about his availability for Week 1. While the standout Chargers quarterback sustained a plantar fascia injury July 31, he participated fully (via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper) with the Bolts’ first-team offense during practice.

Although that workload did not include 11-on-11 work, Herbert appears in no danger of missing any regular-season time. The Chargers have now made the move to waive Max Duggan, the QB they made last year’s Mr. Irrelevant selection.

The Bolts have Herbert going into his fifth season. Throughout that time, Easton Stick has been part of Los Angeles’ roster. Stick moved from third-stringer to backup in 2023, with Chase Daniel‘s contract expiring and the longtime backup transitioning to a media role, and the North Dakota State QB1 between Carson Wentz and Trey Lance replaced Herbert following his season-ending finger injury last season. Stick re-signed with the Chargers this offseason on a one-year, $2.67MM deal, but Popper notes the team needs to consider shopping for another QB2.

Viewing the fifth-year reserve as having regressed this offseason, Popper points to Stick’s fumbled snap and two interceptions in Rams territory — coming after a pick in the Bolts’ preseason opener — as evidence this situation needs to be reexamined. Stick has also looked shaky in Bolts practices on the whole, though he started both preseason games in front of Duggan and recent addition Luis Perez. A veteran of the AAF, XFL and UFL, Perez remains on L.A.’s 90-man roster following the Duggan cut.

The Chargers re-signed Stick despite Jim Harbaugh having no ties to him, moving on from Duggan — whose TCU team eliminated Harbaugh’s Michigan squad in the 2022 CFP semifinals — weeks into camp. Duggan did not play in the Chargers’ second preseason game, seeing Perez replace Stick. The longtime Bolts backup will start the team’s preseason finale, per Harbaugh.

Los Angeles could certainly look into options following next week’s wave of cuts — teams must pare their rosters from 90 to 53 before 3pm CT on August 27 — or look into a trade. If the Bolts release Stick, they would take on $1.4MM in dead money.

As for Herbert, Popper adds he ditched his walking boot late last week. The Pro Bowl QB did not miss any time due to the rib injury he suffered in Week 2 of the 2022 season, powering the Bolts to the playoffs. Though, it took weeks for the strong-armed signal-caller to return to top form that season. The Chargers having Herbert back at work nearly three weeks before the season obviously represents a good sign, and it will be interesting to view the Bolts’ depth chart behind him once waiver claims come in next week.

In addition to waiving Duggan, the Chargers signed safety Jalyn Phillips and waived wide receiver Leon Johnson. Duggan bounced between the team’s active roster and practice squad last year, being signed to a reserve/futures contract in January.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/24

Here are the reserve/futures deals handed out Tuesday:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

  • S Kendell Brooks, G Lewis Kidd, S Michael Tutsie

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/27/23

Here are today’s post-holiday practice squad adjustments:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Activated from practice squad IR: LB Levi Bell

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/25/23

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Los Angeles Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

The Ravens designated Hamm for return on Dec. 4, making Christmas Day the linebacker’s activation deadline. Rather than activating Hamm to their active roster, the Ravens let his 21-day practice window close. A rookie UDFA out of Division I-FCS Lafayette, Hamm will end up missing his entire rookie season. The Ravens carried Hamm over to their 53-man roster after training camp, placing him on IR a day later.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/22/23

Here are Friday’s minor moves around the league:

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

Duggan was waived earlier this week when the Chargers elected to add Will Grier to their active roster. Duggan went unclaimed, to little surprise, leaving him free to re-join the Bolts in short order. The seventh-round rookie has yet to see regular season game time, and that will likely remain the case with Easton Stick and now Grier ahead of him on the depth chart. He will remain in the organization for the time being, however.

Chargers To Sign Will Grier Off Patriots’ Practice Squad, Waive Max Duggan

In the wake of losing Justin Herbert for the season, the Chargers are set to make alterations to their quarterback depth chart. Easton Stick is in place as the starter, but a new backup option has arrived.

Los Angeles is signing Will Grier off the Patriots’ practice squad, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. In a corresponding move, he reports, the Chargers are waiving rookie Max Duggan. The latter will be retained via the practice squad if he goes unclaimed.

Grier was let go by the Cowboys during roster cutdowns, which led to a brief stint on the Bengals’ taxi squad. Jake Browning won out the competition for Cincinnati’s backup role, however, which led Grier to New England as one of several experiments under center. While New England has struggled to find consistency at the QB spot, the 28-year-old has not seen the field this season. The Patriots did not see Grier or undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham as viable starting options, and both are now out of the organization.

Grier was one of many backup/third-string passers to be waived by the Patriots earlier in the year, and he will now join the Chargers in search of potential playing time. The West Virginia product has seen regular season action only twice in his career, during his rookie campaign with the Panthers in 2019. He will look to play his way into a deal with Los Angeles or another interested team this offseason by undertaking a late-season change of scenery.

Duggan enjoyed an impressive final season in college, leading TCU to the national title game last season. His performance with the Horned Frogs only led him to be drafted in the seventh round, however, and the 22-year-old was waived during roster cutdowns. He has remained in the Chargers’ organization since, and that will remain the case presuming no teams put in a claim for him.

Stick threw three touchdowns but also had one interception and a pair of fumbles in the Chargers’ primetime blowout loss to the Raiders in his first career start. That game marked the end of head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco‘s tenures, and it has now prompted a new face being brought in at the QB spot.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/12/23

Today’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

With Justin Herbert landing on IR, the Chargers have added some depth to the roster in Max Duggan. The rookie seventh-round pick landed on the team’s practice squad after the preseason, and he’s spent the entire season off the active roster. He’ll now have a chance at some game action, although Easton Stick is expected to get the first shot at the starting gig.

Duggan spent four years as TCU’s starter, culminating in a breakout senior campaign where he went 12-2 while tossing 32 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions. That performance helped his draft stock, with the Chargers making him the last QB off the board during the 2023 draft.

Chargers’ Justin Herbert Fractures Finger

DECEMBER 11, 7:35pm: Herbert is “very likely” to undergo surgery tomorrow, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The outcome of that operation will determine whether the QB is capable of returning to the field this season.

DECEMBER 11, 1:55pm: Herbert will consult with two hand specialists on Monday, Staley said, via Daniel Popper of The Athletic (subscription required). No firm decision has been made on his 2023 future, though Staley unsurprisingly added Herbert’s long-term health is the main consideration with respect to a recovery timeline.

Herbert has not yet been ruled out for the Chargers’ upcoming Thursday night game, but both Popper and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo note he is highly unlikely to suit up. With the Chargers’ playoff chances looking very slim at this point, it would come as no surprise if he were to be shut down for the remainder of the season. It will remain worth watching how he and the team proceed, however.

DECEMBER 10: The Chargers have dealt with a good amount of adversity so far this season. With five of their eight losses coming by three points or fewer, wide receivers Mike Williams and Josh Palmer finding their way to injured reserve, and injuries here and there causing absences of stars like Austin Ekeler and Joey Bosa, Los Angeles needed to show some resiliency in order to stay in the playoff race this weekend. Instead, they were dealt yet another injury, this one to perhaps their most important player.

Quarterback Justin Herbert was forced to exit today’s game when he apparently injured his finger. At the time, we didn’t know much as Herbert was ruled out and undressed from his pads but remained on the sideline to watch his backup Easton Stick. Now, it’s been reported that Herbert suffered a fracture to the index finger on his throwing hand, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN.

Head coach Brandon Staley was the one to report the injury, though he did not have any information on a timetable for Herbert’s return to play. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the plan is for Herbert to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow on the injured finger in order to determine the severity of the injury. More specifically, Rapoport’s post stated that they will look to determine “how long he’s out and if he’ll be able to return this season,” painting the potential outcome in a fairly negative light.

If the Chargers are forced to play games without Herbert, Stick would likely be the starter moving forward. Since being drafted in the fifth-round back in 2019, Stick had only appeared in one game before today. He played two snaps in Week 6 of the 2020 season, completing his lone attempted pass for four yards. Today, he saw his first extended action. In just over a half of play, Stick completed 13 of 24 pass attempts for 179 yards. He did lead the Chargers down the field on a touchdown drive late in the game by completing two big passes to rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston before letting Ekeler punch it in from three yards out.

Even if Herbert only requires a short recovery period, the Chargers face a short week with their next game coming on Thursday night in Las Vegas. If Stick earns his first start in the upcoming week, he’ll have to be backed up by practice squad quarterback Max Duggan, the rookie teammate of first-year wide receivers Johnston and Derius Davis. Duggan would need to be called up as a standard gameday elevation or signed to the active roster in order to be on the gameday roster this week.

There’s another question that begs attention: How much time does Herbert need to be out, and how many games do the Chargers need to lose, for the team to shut him down for the season. Los Angeles just committed to making Herbert the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL (outdone shortly after by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow‘s deal), locking him down with a five-year extension. If the playoffs start to appear out of reach, it may be in the best interest of Herbert and the team to hold him out for the rest of the year. Let him recover with little-to-no strain, and don’t risk doing any sort of permanent damage to your massive investment.

The Chargers don’t have to make that call just yet. They will look at the results of his scans tomorrow and have a much better idea of what the short-term future looks like. While he may need more time than three days and could miss Thursday, there’s still a chance Herbert recovers easily and is back for the last few weeks of the season. Still, with the pessimism displayed in Rapoport’s report, and the season beginning to wind down, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that we’ve seen the last of Herbert this year.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BroncosChargersChiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.

Denver Broncos

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Kansas City Chiefs

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Las Vegas Raiders

Placed on IR: 

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Chargers

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Reverted to IR:

Released from IR via injury settlement: