The Hamilton Tiger-Cats removed longtime NFL running back and returner Nyheim Hines from their negotiation list on Monday — only five days after adding him in the first place.
The 29-year-old is currently a free agent after spending the 2025 season as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints. He played four regular-season games, rushing twice for minus-two yards and returning eight kicks for 206 yards.
The native of Garner, N.C. was originally a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He spent five seasons with the team, rushing for 1,205 yards, catching 235 passes for 1,725 yards, returning 73 punts for 862 yards, 13 kickoffs for 263 yards, and scoring 19 total touchdowns.
The five-foot-eight, 198-pound speedster was traded to the Buffalo Bills partway through the 2022 season. He remained with the team through 2023 and signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent in 2024, though he missed both seasons after suffering a knee injury during a jet ski accident.
Hines was named first-team All-ACC during his final collegiate season at North Carolina State University in 2017. He ran a 4.38-second forty-yard dash at the 2018 NFL Combine, which raised his stock ahead of the draft.
According to Spotrac, he has earned $26.3 million over the course of his NFL career.
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.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats added several talented players in free agency, including quarterback Tre Ford, receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr., linebacker Wynton McManis, and returner Mario Alford. The team’s key departures included running back Greg Bell (Ottawa Redblacks), receiver Tim White (Winnipeg Blue Bombers), offensive lineman Coulter Woodmansey (Edmonton Elks), and defensive back DaShaun Amos (Toronto Argonauts).
The Tiger-Cats hold the fifth overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. Hamilton will play its first preseason game against the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday, May 23 and its first regular-season game against the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, June 4.
In 2025, Hamilton finished first in the East Division standings with an 11-7 record, though the team lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes.