TORONTO — The CFL free agency process will kick into high gear Sunday.
That's when the league's free-agency window will open and CFL teams will be able to talk freely with any pending free agents or their representatives. That will officially begin at noon ET on Sunday.
Agents representing CFL players must be registered with the CFL Players' Association.
The CFL implemented the process in 2020 in an attempt to curb tampering while allowing potential free agents to get a clearer idea of where they stand within the marketplace and what their options are.
The negotiation window will remain open for seven days and thus close at noon ET on Feb 11. But while the window is open, teams can make formal offers to any pending free agents.
Any offers made must be registered with both the CFL and CFLPA. Any proposition tabled within the window will be considered binding and can't be rescinded.
Once the window closes Feb. 11, pending free agents will have a 48-hour negotiating window with the teams they remain under contract with. At any time, every CFL club will be provided any offers the pending free agents received during the week-long open window period.
Teams will have until 10 a.m. ET on Feb. 13 to make an offer to their own free agents. Copies of those proposals must again go to both the CFL office and CFLPA.
Pending free agents will then have from 10 a.m. until noon ET to accept any offer that's been made to them. Should a player not accept any of the proposals, he'll become a free agent at 12:01 p.m. ET on Feb. 13 and be able to sign with the team of his choosing.
At that time, all prior offers that were made will be withdrawn. And once formal free agency begins, contract proposals no longer need to be made available to either the CFL or CFLPA.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2024.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
