Photo courtesy: Dylan Goodman/New York Jets
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have added veteran NFL quarterback Bailey Zappe to their exclusive negotiation list.
The 27-year-old recently began his fifth NFL training camp after signing with the New York Jets in January. He is currently listed as the fourth quarterback on the team’s depth chart, behind Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik, and Brady Cook.
Zappe was originally selected with the 137th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He dressed for 14 games with the organization over two seasons and started eight of those, posting a 4-4 record. Since being released by New England at the end of training camp in 2024, he has made two stops each with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Browns, starting one game for the Browns that season.
During his NFL career, the native of Victoria, Tex., has completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,223 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He has also rushed for 85 yards and a major, while being sacked 32 times and losing four fumbles.
Zappe spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career at Houston Christian University before transferring to Western Kentucky University in 2021. He was named the Conference USA Most Valuable Player that year after throwing for an FBS record 5,967 yards, 62 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
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.
Zappe had previously been on the negotiation list of the Toronto Argonauts, but was removed earlier this year. Saskatchewan relinquished the rights to free agent quarterback Tanner Mordecai, their longest-tenured neg list player, in order to claim him.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-2) will visit the Edmonton Elks (6-1) at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, August 1, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The two teams met in Regina this past week, where Vincent Blanchard kicked a walk-off 57-yard game-winning field goal.
The weather forecast in Edmonton calls for a high of 24 degrees and a 30 percent chance of showers. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina or 880 CHED in Edmonton.
