The Toronto Argonauts have signed former Saskatchewan Roughrider defensive end Charles Hughes just one day after he has released by the green and white. 

Hughes had been scheduled to become a free agent on Feb. 9.  

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Charleston in Double Blue,” said Argos VP of player personnel John Murphy in a news release. “His list of accomplishments speaks for itself and the veteran presence he will bring to the locker room is immeasurable. Charleston makes a living in other team’s backfields and we are ecstatic he is on our side.”

In a statement released by the Riders, Vice President of Football Operations Jeremy O'Day said “After ongoing negotiations that took place over the last several weeks, we were unable to come to an agreement with Charleston. While we are disappointed, we want to thank Charleston for his dedication to the Riders and to the Saskatchewan community during his time with the Club.” 

In 34 regular-season games with the team, Hughes made 85 defensive tackles, 31 sacks, caused seven forced fumbles, and scored two touchdowns. In two playoff games, Hughes made six tackles and had one sack. He was also a CFL All-Star both seasons with the Riders and was the team's 2019 nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Hughes signed with Saskatchewan after being traded in February of 2018.