1 thing to watch for every CFL team in 2025

Vicki Hall

CFL.ca

@vickihallch

This week marks my 24th anniversary of covering the Canadian Football League, of walking into Edmonton’s training camp with the late Don Matthews as head coach and Nealon Greene at quarterback.

Under mysterious circumstances, the legendary Matthews was either told to step down or fired before the first exhibition game.

And a third-string gunslinger named Jason Maas (now head coach of the Montreal Alouettes) took over as the starter by Week 7, leaving Greene to stand on the sidelines with a clipboard.

So I learned early — expect the unexpected in this wild, three-down game we love so much.

With that in mind, here is one thing to watch for each team with the 2025 CFL regular season set to kick off tonight in Saskatchewan.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

With 2023 Grey Cup MVP Cody Fajardo traded to Edmonton, Maas is handing the starting job at quarterback to Davis Alexander. And Maas positively raves about the 26-year-old who threw for 1,347 yards and six touchdowns last season with five starts. “He’s such a great leader and competitor,” Maas said in an interview earlier this week with the morning show on TSN 690. “Davis is not going to give up on any play. He’s going to be smart with the ball, make good decisions…He’s just going to believe on every single play that he can make something happen, and I love that about him.” Should Alexander falter, veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson is at the ready.

OTTAWA REDBLACKS

We can’t wait to see what receiver Eugene Lewis can do this season with Dru Brown as his quarterback. So many football players use slights – perceived and actual – as motivation. And Lewis was clearly offended by his former employer, Edmonton Elks GM Ed Hervey, not reaching out for a chat prior to the opening of free agency. Lewis, 32, reeled in touchdown passes in Edmonton’s final eight regular season games last season. He needs touchdown catches in Ottawa’s first two contests to tie the record for most consecutive games with a receiving touchdown (10) held by Hall of Fame receiver Terry Evenshen.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

We know linebacker Wynton McManis will be munching on his flavoured toothpicks this season. That much is certain. But the fate of his new-look defence is a massive question mark for the defending Grey Cup champions. Gone are the likes of defensive end Folarin Orimolade (Calgary), defensive tackle Jake Ceresna (Edmonton), tackle Ralph Holley (Cleveland Browns) and safety Royce Metchie (Edmonton). And Jason Shivers is new at co-defensive coordinator alongside Kevin Eiben. Growing pains are a certainty but with McManis at the heart, the Toronto defence is not to be underestimated.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

Bo Levi Mitchell completed 68.4 per cent of his passes last season for a league-leading 5,541 yards and 32 touchdowns. And there’s every reason to expect a repeat — or even better — from the cagey quarterback this season with the addition of Kenny Lawler to the receiving corps. But the real question for Hamilton this season lies with the rebuilding defence. In 2024, the Tiger-Cats surrendered the most points (557), touchdowns (55) and field goals (55) during the regular season. Watch for defensive backs DaShaun Amos, Reggie Stubblefield and Branden Dozier to shore things up under new defensive coordinator Brent Monson.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

We can already see the headlines after Winnipeg’s first loss of the season, trumpeting the theory that the Blue Bombers are too old and finally past their prime after five straight Grey Cup appearances. Quarterback Zach Collaros is 36. Protecting his blind side is 39-year-old Stanley Bryant, Receiver Nic Demski is 31. Defensive end Willie Jefferson turned 34 during the off-season. You get the picture. Ultimately, age catches up with all of us on the field and in life. But count out Mike O’Shea’s Bombers at your own peril.

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

The Roughriders secured an insurance policy at quarterback this off-season in former Calgary starter Jake Maier. But in reality, it doesn’t matter which guy lines up under centre if the banged- up offensive line can’t provide better protection this season. Injuries have already ravaged the bodyguards up front for Saskatchewan, leaving rookie Payton Collins to make his CFL debut tonight at the key position of left tackle against the Ottawa REDBLACKS. Saskatchewan’s offensive line must improve this season for the Riders to take the next step.

EDMONTON ELKS

Quarterback Tre Ford is blessed with a tantalizing combination of foot speed and arm strength. The time has arrived for the University of Waterloo product to answer the calls of, “We want Tre,” from the Edmonton football faithful and make this team his own. The combination of Ford and tailback Justin Rankin — now wearing No. 5 — make the Elks a formidable threat on the ground. And Ford keeps defences honest with his cannon of an arm. Now it’s time to pull it all together and lead the Elks back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

Vernon Adams Jr. is one of many new faces in Calgary heading into the 2025 season (Stampeders.com)

Stampeder fans will definitely need to refer to the roster on their phones on Saturday in the season-opener against a familiar face in Mitchell and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Change is a constant in professional sports, but the Stampeders could have 12 (!) new starters on defence. The starting quarterback (Vernon Adams Jr.) is new to Calgary. So are receivers Dominique Rhymes, Tevin Jones and Damien Alford. All this leaves head coach/general manager Dave Dickenson in the crosshairs after Calgary missed the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. The Stamps will need to quickly gel in what they hope is a turn-around season at McMahon Stadium.

BC LIONS

Quarterback Nathan Rourke is the undisputed face of the franchise for the Lions this season. Now the question is whether the Canadian pivot can regain the form that saw him lead the league in completion percentage, passer efficiency and yards per game in 2022. Last year, Rourke’s mid-season return from the NFL led to a divided locker room. Now Adams Jr. is in Calgary, Rourke can take command with Justin McInnis, the CFL’s leading receiver in 2024, a healthy Keon Hatcher Sr. as targets in the receiving corps. Expectations are high. Can Rourke live up to them?

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