Diego Pavia Holds Exclusive Pro Football Fallback Option in CFL

A CFL Path Already Exists For Diego Pavia

According to Yahoo Sports, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have held Pavia's Canadian Football League negotiating rights since 2024. That means if he ever decides to take his game north, Winnipeg already has priority access to sign him.

CFL teams maintain a negotiation list of up to 45 players who are unsigned, currently playing professional football elsewhere, or still in college. Those rights can be updated at any time and give the holding team exclusive access if a player chooses to enter the league.

For Pavia specifically, the fit makes sense on paper. His mobility and ability to process the game quickly were central to his college success, and those traits translate well to the CFL's wider field and more open offensive structure.

What Pavia Brought to Vanderbilt

Opinions on Pavia were often split, but his production in 2025 was hard to argue with. At 24 years old, he led the SEC with 29 touchdown passes, completed 70.6% of his throws and added 10 rushing touchdowns.

That kind of all-around output pushed him deep into the Heisman race, where he finished second behind Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Going undrafted after that season made Pavia the first Heisman finalist in that position since 2014.

What Comes Next For The Former Vanderbilt Star

The Ravens minicamp is where Pavia's attention is right now, and it's the right place for it. It's a real opportunity to get in front of a coaching staff and make a case for a roster spot or at least a practice squad role.

But that window is narrow. Undrafted players don't get much margin for error at minicamps.

If the NFL doesn't pan out, the CFL option through Winnipeg is already there waiting. Pavia has built enough of a resume to have a professional football career somewhere. The question is just where that ends up being.