2026 CFL Season Preview: Roughriders look to defend their Grey Cup title with MOP Nathan Rourke emerging into superstardom
The 2026 CFL season is set to kick off on Thursday night, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most intriguing in years.
The beginning of June might be when the NFL has mandatory minicamps, but more importantly, it’s the kickoff of the CFL season. They spent the majority of May in training camp and now that June is here, the season is set to begin.
While there are just nine teams in the CFL, it’s a very competitive league with five teams in the West Division and four in the East Division. Six teams will make the playoffs, with the winner of each division getting a bye into the conference final, aptly named the East Final and West Final.
With the NFL not kicking off its regular season for three months, the CFL is primed to bridge that gap. It’s more lively and explosive than the UFL, and the three downs paired with a 110-yard field and the one-point rouge bring a different level of excitement.
With the first three games this weekend, I put together a preview for each team, with storylines and players to keep an eye on.
How to watch the CFL
If you live in Canada, it’s pretty simple. Every game airs on TSN 1-5, but it’s different in the United States. There is a select package that airs on CBS Sports Network, but you can watch every game on CFL+, which is free streaming online.
Toronto Argonauts
The biggest story for the Argonauts this past season was head coach Ryan Dinwiddie leaving to take the Ottawa Redblacks head coaching and general manager job. They promoted quarterbacks coach Mike Miller to head coach, hoping to keep some level of stability with Chad Kelly returning.
After suffering a broken and dislocated ankle in the 2024 East Final, Kelly missed the entire 2025 season, and the Argos finished with an abysmal 5-13 record. Nick Arbuckle kept the Argos in games, but they couldn’t get over the hump.
One of the biggest moves they made was signing former NFL offensive lineman and Canadian national Dakoda Shepley to help anchor the offensive line. It was a rough unit in 2025, and keeping Kelly upright, along with running the ball, will be key.
The season will likely rely on the success of Kelly, and thriving on the road. They will be displaced for multiple weeks due to the World Cup hosting multiple games in Toronto. It’s not an ideal scenario for the Argos to play the first seven games on the road, and it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see them essentially out of the playoff race by August.
Players to note:
- QB Chad Kelly
- WR Damonte Coxie
- WR Makai Polk
- OL Ryan Hunter
- DL Jonathan Kongbo
- DB Adarius Pickett
- S Derek Slywka
Ottawa Redblacks
Dinwiddie coming to the Redblacks is huge for the franchise. Things didn’t work well for Bob Dyce, going 4-13, mainly thanks to starting quarterback Dru Brown missing most of the season due to injury. Late last week, Dinwiddie made the surprising decision to go to journeyman QB Jake Maier to start the year at quarterback.
The biggest thing the Redblacks need is stability at quarterback. Having the position be a revolving door was a major issue for the Redblacks, and it may take some magic from Dinwiddie to get the Redblacks from out of the gutter.
Truth be told, the Redblacks could be really interesting with Greg Bell at running back, as they made him the highest paid player at the position in the CFL. His explosiveness could change everything for Ottawa, but it may take a year to get there. Either way, the Redblacks should be much more competitive with Dinwiddie at the helm.
Players to note:
- QB Jake Maier
- QB Max Duggan
- RB Greg Bell
- WR Justin Hardy
- WR Kalil Pimpleton
- WR Binjemen Victor
- OL Martez Ivey
- DL Habakkuk Baldonado
- LB A.J. Allen
- K Brett Lauther
Edmonton Elks
The first year under head coach Mark Kilam didn’t go the way the Elks wanted at the start, but they won six of their last 11 games once they switched to Cody Fajardo at quarterback. The momentum the Elks built on the back half of the year has many intrigued by what the team can do in 2026.
Offensively, they are loaded at wide receiver, adding Austin Mack and Brendan O’Leary-Orange to a room led by Kaion Julien-Grant. Fajardo is a smart quarterback who will attack vertically down the field with this trio, but the key is going to be running back Justin Rankin. His dual-threat ability is special and the Elks offense will run through him.
Defensively, they have one of the best defensive backs in Tyrell Ford and added Malik Carney from the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Losing Jake Cersna to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers does hurt a bit, but they have plenty of talent to succeed. The biggest question will be if they can prevent another rough start like they’ve had the last few years.
Players to note:
- QB Cody Fajardo
- RB Justin Rankin
- WR Joshua Cephus
- WR Austin Mack
- WR Kaion Julien-Grant
- OL Coulter Woodmansey
- DL Malik Carney
- DB Tyrell Ford
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
After five consecutive Grey Cup appearances, the Blue Bombers took a step back last season, mainly due to the regression of quarterback Zach Collaros. Going into his age-38 season, Collaros is still a talented quarterback, and they have the future quarterback for the organization in Taylor Elgersma. The Wilfrid Laurier product spent time with the Green Bay Packers last year and was at the Senior Bowl in 2025.
Head Coach Mike O’Shea had his contract expire after the 2025 season, and flirted with taking the Argonauts job, where he won a Grey Cup as a player. Instead, O’Shea re-signed with the Blue Bombers, and they hit free agency hard.
One season after losing Kenny Lawler, they sprung for Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ Tim White and Saskatchewan Roughriders Tommy Nield to pair with Nic Demski. They also added offensive tackle Jarell Broxton, defensive back Jonathan Moxey, and defensive lineman Jake Ceresna to strengthen a team that was desperate to retool.
This is a team in transition from their massive Grey Cup streak to getting one more with Collaros at the helm. Will they end up making it happen? Getting Collaros to succeed one more year before Elgersma takes over is the ideal path for the Bombers.
Players to note:
- QB Zach Collaros
- QB Taylor Elgersma
- QB Bryce Perkins
- RB Brady Olivera
- WR Nic Demski
- WR Tim White
- OT Stanley Bryant
- OT Jarell Broxton
- EDGE Willie Jefferson
- DL Jake Ceresna
- DB Evan Holm
- DB Jonathan Moxey
- DB/KR Trey Vaval
Calgary Stampeders
Going into the season, the Stampeders looked like a team about to take a step backward. While quarterback Vernon Adams III is in his second year as the starting quarterback, he lost multiple weapons on the outside, including Damien Alford, the 2025 first overall pick in the CFL Draft, as he signed with the New Orleans Saints. There will be some growing pains on offense, but the Stampeders got a huge late addition to the roster.
Defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings, who had signed with the Minnesota Vikings, was released in April and re-joined the Stampeders. He will be ready to join Clarence Hicks and Folarin Orimolade for the season opener on Friday night against the Blue Bombers. Their season likely rides on the backs of how successful the defensive line can be.
Players to note:
- QB Vernon Adams III
- RB Dedrick Mills
- WR Jalen Philpot
- DL Jaylon Hutchings
- DL Clarence Hicks
- DL Folarin Orimolade
- DB Adrian Greene
BC Lions
The Lions were so close to making the Grey Cup last season. Quarterback Nathan Rourke, after playing half a season in 2024, started the entire year in 2025 and won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award. He’s been a very vocal advocate for the purity of the CFL game, and he’s arguably the best player in the league, and maybe the best quarterback since the great Doug Flutie.
If the Lions are going to get back to the Grey Cup, it will be on the back of Rourke and an uber talented supporting cast. Running back James Butler, wide receiver Keon Hatcher, and wide receiver Justin McInnis are arguably the best trio of weapons in the CFL. Plus, Mathieu Betts had 15 sacks last season. Some big performances like that can get the Lions back there.
Players to note:
- QB Nathan Rourke
- RB James Butler
- WR Keon Hatcher
- WR Justin McInnis
- DL Mathieu Betts
- DL Jonah Tavai
- LB Darnell Sankey
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Tiger-Cats have the most explosive offense in the CFL. Led by quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who had a cup of coffee with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, the Tiger-Cats won the East and lost on a last-second field goal to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final. Even though Mitchell is going into his age 36 season, the arm is as live as ever, and he still looks the part. If he ends up getting hurt, they brought in Tre Ford as the backup, and he started the 2025 season as the Elks’ starter. He’s a true dual-threat and one of the fastest players in the league.
While they lost running back Greg Bell to the Ottawa Redblacks, the wide receiver spot is still loaded, led by Kenny Lawler, who signed a massive three-year, $1 million contract extension last week. Kiondre Smith joins him on the outside and safety Stavros Katsantonis is one of the best in the league.
Players to note:
- QB Bo Levi Mitchell
- QB Tre Ford
- RB Larry Rountree
- WR Kenny Lawler
- WR Kiondre Smith
- OL Liam Dobson
- OL Trevor Reid
- DL Julian Howsare
- LB Wynton McManis
- S Stavros Katsantonis
Montreal Alouettes
One of the wildest stats for the 10-8 Alouettes in 2025 was that starting quarterback Davis Alexander hadn’t lost a single game as starting quarterback in his CFL career going into the Grey Cup. He dealt with hamstring injuries all year, and re-injured it during the Grey Cup game, one of the reasons why the Alouettes couldn’t get over the hump against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The Alouettes, under head coach Jason Maas, are mostly running it back in 2026, with the likes of wide receiver Tyson Philpot, wide receiver Tyler Snead and defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund returning to lead the team. They had star safety and countryman Marc-Andre Duquois retire, but they replaced him with former first-round pick Jonathan Sutherland, who spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, and Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squads. If the Alouettes can keep Alexander healthy, a trip back to the Grey Cup is likely in their future.
Players to note:
- QB Davis Alexander
- RB Stevie Scott III
- RB Travis Theis
- WR Tyson Philpot
- WR Tyler Snead
- WR Jerreth Sterns
- OL Pier-Olivier Lestage
- DL Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund
- LB Micah Awe
- LB Tyrice Beverette
- DB Jonathan Sutherland
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Roughriders have been around since 1910, and finally got back over the hump, winning their fifth-ever Grey Cup and first since 2013. Quarterback Trevor Harris led a very efficient offense with a great running attack with A.J. Ouellette as one of the best running backs in the league.
While the offense was good and saw wide receiver Dohnte Meyers sign with the Cincinnati Bengals, it was head coach Corey Mace’s aggressive defense that led the charge, allowing a league-best 22.7 points per game, 76.0 rush yards per game, and seconds by 0.1 yards per game with 342.0 yards per game.
College football fans will be interested in watching who ends up winning the starting quarterback job in the future, with Tommy Stevens of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Jack Coan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Brayden Schager of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors all being intriguing options.
The Roughriders should be the favorites to win the Grey Cup, and they have the roster to win it.
Players to note:
- QB Trevor Harris
- QB Tommy Stevens
- QB Jack Coan
- QB Brayden Schager
- RB A.J. Ouellette
- WR Samuel Emilus
- WR KeeSean Johnson
- WR Kian Schaffer-Baker
- OL Jermarcus Hardrick
- OL Logan Ferland
- LB Jameer Thurman
- DB Rolan Milligam Jr.
- DB Tevaughn Campbell