Photo: James Maclennan/CFL

The Atlanta Falcons worked out a pair of CFL return specialists on Tuesday in Trey Vaval of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Isaiah Wooden Sr. of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, per the NFL transactions wire.

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), missed field goal return yards (391), and total return touchdowns (four) in 2025, while also finishing third in all-purpose yards (2,266) and fifth in kickoff return yards (918).

He also started four games at cornerback for Winnipeg, recording 21 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, and one interception.

The 25-year-old finished his collegiate career at Minnesota State University, where he recorded 69 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 14 pass knockdowns, five blocked kicks, two interceptions, two touchdowns, and one sack over 25 games.

The five-foot-eleven, 171-pound speedster from Blue Springs, Mo., attended training camp with the Falcons in 2024 before making his way to Canada.

Vaval has now worked out for six NFL teams, including the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, and the Denver Broncos.

Wooden played 14 regular-season games with the Tiger-Cats in 2025, leading the CFL in punt return average (15.0) and finishing second in kickoff return average (26.3). The 25-year-old product of Southern Utah recorded 1,782 total return yards and three return touchdowns despite suffering an arm injury midway through the season.

The five-foot-nine, 170-pound speedster first signed with the B.C. Lions in 2024 and spent time on the team’s practice roster, though he was later released and signed in Hamilton. He reportedly ran a 4.38-second forty-yard dash at his pro day last year.

Wooden has worked out for five NFL teams, including the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and Denver Broncos.

The NFL workout window opened on Monday, November 17. The window to sign with an NFL team opens January 5, 2026, and ends February 10, 2026, at 12:01 p.m. EST.

NFL teams must ask CFL franchises for permission to work out players, and the request cannot be denied. CFL players can opt out of their agreements north of the border if an NFL team offers a contract, though their CFL team maintains their rights through the duration of their pre-existing contract.

Wooden is a pending CFL free agent, while Vaval has a season remaining on his current deal.

The Falcons are currently third in the NFC South with a 5-9 record and have already been eliminated from playoff contention. They will visit the Arizona Cardinals (3-11) on Sunday, December 21 at 4:05 p.m. EST.