The Canadian Press
TORONTO — The CFL regular season is nearly here and there are plenty of storylines from around the league to get excited for before the season kicks off on Thursday.
Jump to team:
| BC | Calgary | Edmonton | Saskatchewan | Winnipeg | Hamilton | Toronto | Ottawa | Montreal |
BC LIONS
Nathan Rourke completed 52 passes for 754 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2021. (The Canadian Press)
– Approaching the start of the regular season, the BC Lions added some depth to their quarterback room in the form of Antonio Pipkin. Pipkin is using his CFL experience and knowledge to mentor and guide a pair of young BC quarterbacks (CFL.ca).
– The Lions appear to have handed quarterback Nathan Rourke the keys to the offence as he gets set to make his sophomore debut on Saturday night. However, Michael O’Connor had an impressive pre-season in his own right. With the new CFL rules allowing two quarterbacks on the field at the same time, the BC offence is certainly one to keep an eye on (CFL.ca).
– As TSN unveiled its annual top-50 players list, a pair of BC wideouts landed inside the top-10. Bryan Burnham earned the No.8 spot on the list, while teammate Lucky Whitehead came in just behind Burnham at No.9 (CFL.ca).
EDMONTON ELKS
– The Edmonton Elks continue to get ready for the 2022 season, acquiring some depth at offensive line and defensive back in a trade with the Toronto Argonauts (GoElks.com).
– Edmonton was not done making roster moves quite yet, adding even more depth to their defensive secondary. On Tuesday the Elks announced the signing of defensive back Treston Decoud on Tuesday (GoElks.com).
– As the Elks get set to open their season on Saturday against the BC Lions, quarterback Nick Arbuckle looks to be a full participant in practice after being listed with a chest injury (CFL.ca).
– On Monday, the Elks welcomed the Fort McKay Northern Spirits to the Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium for a tour of the team facilities. The senior girls tackle football team is Canada’s first indigenous girls football team (GoElks.com).
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Stamps’ running back Ka’Deem Carey accounted for 869 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 2021 (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca).
– A note of optimism for the Calgary Stampeders as they approach the new season. Veteran quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell says that he has been feeling pain-free working through training camp and is excited to get the 2022 season started (The Canadian Press).
– The stamps added depth to their special teams unit this past week, acquiring punter James Smith in a trade with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (Stampeders.com).
– After a breakout year in 2021, Calgary running back Ka’Deem Carey will have an opportunity to establish himself as one of the feature backs in the league this season (CFL.ca).
– Stamps fans hoping to see the debut of 2022 first-round pick Jalen Philpot, will have to continue to stay patient as he is listed as doubtful on the teams injury report this week (CFL.ca).
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
In a somewhat surprising move in their final roster cutdown, the Riders announced the release of running back Shaq Cooper. Cooper was signed by Saskatchewan as a free-agent at the start of April (CFL.ca).
– Entering his 14th season in the CFL, Saskatchewan defensive linemen Charletson Hughes says he is feeling great approaching the new season. He rejoins the Riders after spending last season with the Toronto Argonauts. (LeaderPost.com).
– Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, the Roughriders will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo says that he is feeling confident, comfortable and excited entering his third year as the Riders starting quarterback (Riderville.com).
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Greg Ellingson recorded five consecutive seasons of 1,000 yards prior to the 2021 season (BlueBombers.com).
– After a dominant season that ended with a second consecutive Grey Cup, it should come as no surprise that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers sit at the top of the CFL Power Rankings entering Week 1 of the regular season (CFL.ca).
– Winnipeg defensive linemen Jackson Jeffcoat was listed with an ankle injury on the Bombers’ injury report this week. Winnipeg will begin its regular season with a matchup against the Ottawa REDBLACKS on Friday night (CFL.ca).
– Bombers newcomer and CFL veteran wide receiver Greg Ellingson gets set to make his regular-season debut and showed nothing but love for his new team and the culture they have built in Winnipeg (BlueBombers.com).
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
– Leading up to their season opener, Ticats starting quarterback Dane Evans feels the offence is performing well early on in practice as Hamilton enters Week 1 of the regular season (Ticats.ca).
– As the Tiger-Cats get set to kickoff their season on Saturday night in Regina, fifth-year veteran defensive back Cariel Brooks has been listed on the team’s injury report and did not participate due to a back injury (CFL.ca).
– With an abundance of talented wide receivers in Steel City, Steven Dunbar Jr. is mentioned as a potential breakout sleeper pick for CFL fantasy fans this week (CFL.ca).
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Brandon Banks earned Most Outstanding Player honours in 2019 following a career best 1,550 receiving yards and 13 touchdown season (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca).
– After an impressive season in 2021, the Toronto Argonauts landed at the No.3 spot in CFL.ca’s Week 1 Power Rankings (CFL.ca).
– Entering the 2022 regular season, newcomer Andrew Harris has been loving the transition to playing in Toronto and says that he is excited for the opportunity to play with the Argos (The Canadian Press).
– Across the league fans are well acquainted with the physical talent of Toronto Argonauts newcomer, Brandon Banks. However, it has been Banks’ knowledge of the game that has been impressing Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie the most (Argonauts.ca).
– Argonauts’ long snapper Jake Reinhart is back with the team and happy to be around football after a gruesome injury nearly ended his career in 2021 (Argonauts.ca).
OTTAWA REDBLACKS
Jeremiah Masoli recorded three games of at least four touchdown passes for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats during the 2021 season (The Canadian Press).
– Ottawa announced its final cuts to round out their roster for the 2022 season. The list surprisingly included six-year veteran wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, whom the REDBLACKS signed during the off-season in February (REDBLACKS.com).
– The REDBLACKS will open their season with a Friday Night Football matchup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Ottawa running back William Powell has been listed as limited in practice with an ankle injury on the team’s injury report (CFL.ca).
– As Ottawa prepares for the season opener, there is an element of revenge in the air for quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who will get to square off with the Bombers for the first time since last year’s heartbreaking Grey Cup defeat (The Canadian Press).
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
– After an injury sidelined his season in October of 2021, Vernon Adams Jr. has officially been listed as the starting quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes as they get set to open their season in Calgary on Thursday night (MontrealAlouettes.com).
– More good news for Als fans ahead of Thursday evening: after being listed as a limited participant for Monday’s practice, running back William Stanback was listed as a full participaant in team practice on the team injury report (CFL.ca).
– Alouettes rookie receiver and 2022 first-round draft pick Tyson Philpot is relishing the role of learning from fellow Canadian receivers Hergy Mayala and Kaion Julien-Grant (MontrealAlouettes.com).
