P.J. Walker briefly spent time with the Seahawks this summer, but he did not land a roster spot. Now, the journeyman quarterback has turned his attention north of the border. 
Walker signed with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders this week, per a team announcement. The 29-year-old has experience outside the NFL, having played with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks in 2020, but this will be his first endeavor in Canada. Walker is open to any future NFL offers, but for the time being his attention will be turned to a potential starting role in Calgary.
“As long as the opportunities presented themselves in the NFL, I was always going to take those opportunities and — not saying they still can’t present themselves — but I really do want to play, I really do want to go out there and try to help the team win and contribute as much as I can,” Walker said (via John Hodge of 3 Down Nation). “I think that took a lot of the decision-making for me to come down here.”
The Temple product reunited with Matt Rhule by joining the Panthers in 2020 after the XFL folded. He made 15 appearances and seven starts across his three years in Carolina, throwing more than twice as many interceptions as touchdowns. Walker made a pair of starts last year with the Browns but his touchdown-to-interception ratio (1:5) remained poor. He is now positioned to have a brief audition period with Calgary in a bid to boost his value in either league.
The Toronto Argonauts originally held Walker’s negotiating rights and made a contract offer, Hodge reports. That was turned down given the presence of Chad Kelly, Toronto’s starter and reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player. Stampeders head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson said Calgary recently traded for Walker’s rights, setting up this signing as a potential commitment beyond the current campaign.
Three weeks remain in the CFL’s regular season, and the 4-10-1 Stampeders have been eliminated from playoff contention. Jake Maier – who entered the year as the team’s starter but who has been benched on multiple occasions – is a pending free agent, meaning a 2025 roster spot could be available to Walker if he impresses over the coming weeks. The former UDFA is currently on Calgary’s practice squad, and Dickinson did not make any assurances with respect to playing time once he acclimates to his new team. If Walker does manage to see the field, though, he could play his way into a gig for next season.
Advantages exist in the CFL if you acclimate to the different rules.
Myself I like the ‘receivers motion’ prior to the snap and the extra depth of the end zone.
Adjusting to just 3 downs and the quicker pace is the toughest hurdle for most players use to the NFL. I think Walker might do alright (certainly better than Johnny Manziel). I’ve always thought Tyrod Taylor would have been well suited for this league too.