This year and early '19 could be a tough stretch for CFL player talent as new leagues attempt to take offbc lions
Some football players recently have "said 'no thanks' to the CFL because they were waiting" on a potential deal with an Alliance of American Football team, or "already had one," according to Kirk Penton of THE ATHLETIC. One CFL source said that half of the players their team "asked to come north declined because they were waiting for the AAF." That could be a "sign that it is about to get more difficult to attract U.S. talent north of the border." Toronto Argonauts GM Jim Popp said, "All teams are starting to see that it's not quite as easy to get guys to come up." Penton noted the "only way" a player will be able to get out of an AAF contract is to "sign with an NFL team." Popp and Calgary Stampeders Dir of U.S. Scouting Cole Hufnagel agree that this year and early '19 could be the "toughest stretch for the CFL since the AAF is asking any and all players to give its league a shot as it attempts to take off." The CFL's labor situation might also "result in the AAF gaining some talent." The CFL CBA "expires the day before next year's training camp opens," and there is a "sense the looming negotiations could be more intense than ever before." Popp said that he "believes the AAF will have an impact on the CFL," but that he does not feel that it will "cause a crater" (THEATHLETIC.com, 9/26).
