Photo courtesy: Arthur Ward/CFL.

Free agency in the Canadian Football League is set to get underway early in February, which means it’s time to begin taking stock of players currently projected to hit the market.

This year’s quarterback group isn’t particularly strong, though there aren’t any teams currently in search of a starting passer. When it comes to the game’s most important position, expect free agency to be all about depth.

The league’s free agency communications window, often referred to as the legal tampering window, will be open from Feb. 1-8. During this time, all pending free agents will be allowed to negotiate with teams across the CFL without restrictions.

Some players will agree to terms on contracts with new teams during this time, though they can’t be signed until free agency officially gets underway on Feb. 10.

This is 3DownNation’s first positional ranking. Check back soon for our running back and fullback rankings.

These rankings were made based off feedback from 3DownNation contributors as well as CFL personnel people, who were granted anonymity.

Please note that “N” denotes National players (ie. Canadians), “A” denotes American players, and “G” denotes Global players.

1) Jake Maier, Saskatchewan Roughriders (A)

The 28-year-old got a change of scenery this past season when he served as the backup to Trevor Harris in Riderville. The 28-year-old ended up seeing action in five regular-season games but didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet, throwing for 617 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. While he certainly didn’t play poorly, few would argue Maier did much to silence his critics.

The six-foot, 200-pound native of Fullerton, Calif. showed flashes over four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders and is one of the most experienced quarterbacks available, having thrown for 12,302 yards, 62 touchdowns, and 41 interceptions over 84 regular-season CFL games. The question is whether Maier has the potential to become a starter again in the future or if he’s now permanently relegated to backup duty.

Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography

2) Taylor Powell, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A)

The 27-year-old has had a bizarre start to his CFL career because it’s gone backwards, in a way. Powell played a lot as a rookie in 2023, then a little in 2024, then almost not at all in 2025. This trend has nothing to do with him, but the play and health of franchise quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. Mitchell has played well and avoided injury, giving Hamilton no reason to make a change under centre.

Orlondo Steinauer, the team’s president of football operations, said from the CFL’s recent offseason winter meetings that Powell “got the short end of the stick” regarding playing time in recent years. He was also complimentary of the young quarterback’s work ethic, saying he expects there would be “not be a lot of drop off” if he took over from Mitchell, and made it clear the Tiger-Cats want him back.

Powell remains a bit of an unknown but it’s hard to ignore his early-career success, as well as the fact that Scott Milanovich has developed more CFL quarterbacks than anyone else in the recent history of the league. If a team is looking for a future franchise quarterback, one could argue that the native of Fayetteville, Ark. is the only pending free-agent passer who could potentially live up to that role.

3) McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Montreal Alouettes (A)

The 37-year-old native of San Francisco, Calif. is arguably the most accomplished quarterback on this list but it’s hard to ignore how much he struggled at times in 2025. Bethel-Thompson started eight games for the Alouettes and went 3-5, throwing for 1,746 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

The six-foot-three, 230-pound passer isn’t without accolades — he’s a two-time All-East Division selection and previously led the CFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He also wants to continue playing, sources have told 3DownNation, though teams will have to take his age and recent performance into account when making their decisions.

4) Dustin Crum, Ottawa Redblacks (A)

The six-foot, 210-pound native of Grafton, Ohio made six starts in 2025 and enjoyed his best season as a passer, though the numbers were still somewhat pedestrian at 1,771 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions. There’s no questioning what Crum brings as a runner, however, as he’s rushed for 1,376 yards and 27 touchdowns through three seasons with the Redblacks.

Crum had a pretty sensational collegiate career at Kent State and has never been put in the best position to succeed in Ottawa. Some CFL personnel people believe there’s still room for growth in Crum’s game, which could lead to an enticing opportunity for the young quarterback come free agency.

5) Caleb Evans, Montreal Alouettes (A)

The 27-year-old played well in limited action in 2025 but suffered a torn ACL in August, which might mean he won’t be healthy for the start of training camp. Evans was shaky to start his career but seemed to find a groove with the Alouettes over the last two seasons, throwing for 514 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions.

The native of Mansfield, Texas can easily handle short-yardage duties, having scored 33 career rushing touchdowns, and still appears to have some upside as a thrower. Though his knee injury will hurt his value, Evans still seems like a prudent option for a team looking to add depth at quarterback.

6) Tyrie Adams, Ottawa Redblacks (A)

The four-year CFL veteran has only made three career starts, two of which came late last season once the Redblacks had been eliminated from postseason contention. The native of St. Petersburg, Fla. has little production, throwing for 817 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions, but has flashed enticing athleticism with 116 yards along the ground.

Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography

7) Harrison Frost, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A)

The 27-year-old has only attempted 12 passes through two seasons in the CFL and didn’t take a single snap in 2025. With that said, working closely with Bo Levi Mitchell and Scott Milanovich should boost Frost’s stock with some teams, who may see him as a worthwhile project. The native of Kennesaw, Ga. doesn’t have much upside as a runner but deserves a chance to show what he can do from the pocket.

8) Cameron Dukes, Free Agent (A)

The native of Shepherdsville, Ken. threw for 2,212 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions over two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, while adding 447 yards and 12 scores along the ground. The knock on Dukes is that he spent most of the 2025 season unsigned and has been a free agent since October, raising questions about how he’s viewed by teams around the league.

9) Jake Dolegala, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A)

The 29-year-old has attempted only 26 passes over the last two seasons, being limited to short-yardage duty with the Tiger-Cats in 2025. Dolegala is mostly remembered for his tenure with the Saskatchewan Roughriders — he threw for 2,641 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 2023 — but has started only one game since.

10) Chase Brice, B.C. Lions (A)

The six-foot-two, 235-pound passer has attempted only 33 career passes but has a big arm and has spent time around Nathan Rourke, which could raise his stock. The Lions seemed hesitant to give Brice playing time in 2025 but the 27-year-old passer was sharp in limited action in 2024, throwing for 232 yards and one touchdown.

11) Chris Streveler, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)

The six-foot-two, 222-pound passer started five games for Winnipeg in 2025 but had arguably his worst CFL season, throwing for 1,103 yards, six touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Streveler remains an effective runner, rushing for 1,740 yards and 41 scores over 66 career regular-season games, but it’s tough to overlook his lack of aerial production. He also suffered a torn ACL in October, which means he’ll likely miss the start of the 2026 season due to injury — if he chooses to play.

Photo: Reuben Polansky/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

12) Shea Patterson, Montreal Alouettes (A)

The 29-year-old spent half of last season unsigned and was mostly forgotten until he committed a costly fumble in the late stages of the Grey Cup. Patterson played decently with the Roughriders in 2024, throwing for 1,655 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions, but teams weren’t exactly lining up to sign him a year ago.

13) Jeremiah Masoli, B.C. Lions (A)

The 37-year-old saw action in three games with the Lions in 2025 and managed only 538 passing yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions, making it clear that he’s simply no longer the quarterback that he once was. Masoli has been around the CFL for almost 15 years and is extremely well-respected, so much so that he may get an opportunity to coach in 2026 if he so desires.

14) Logan Bonner, Calgary Stampeders (A)

The Utah State product went unsigned for most of the 2025 season until the Stampeders brought him back following a season-ending injury to P.J. Walker. Bonner has made only one career CFL start and he threw for 284 yards, zero touchdowns, and five interceptions in a Labour Day Classic loss to the Edmonton Elks in 2024.