Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats may have locked in Bo Levi Mitchell as their starting quarterback for two more seasons, but that doesn’t mean he is the only player at the position that the team is looking to retain.

Speaking to CHCH‘s Bubba O’Neil on the Sportsline Podcast, president of football operations Orlondo Steinauer confirmed that he would like to re-sign backup QB Taylor Powell before he hits free agency.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Steinauer said. “Taylor is definitely somebody we want back in our building. I know that he’ll probably explore all options, as he should, but we really appreciate Taylor and are definitely high on him.”

Powell has been with the Ticats since 2023, when he started nine games as a rookie with Mitchell on the injured list. He completed 197-of-292 pass attempts (67.5 percent) for 2,283 yards with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing 28 times for 196 yards and one TD. He led the Ticats in every major passing category while recording the most wins of the QB group that season.

Scott Milanovich expressed excitement about Powell’s future when he was promoted to head coach following the season, and made the controversial decision to bench Mitchell for his backup midway through the 2024 campaign. However, the Fayetteville, Ark., native was knocked out of his first start with a head injury, and Mitchell caught fire in the aftermath, going on to lead the league in passing.

Powell finished that season 41-of-52 (78.8 percent) for 422 yards and two touchdowns, while adding eight carries for 71 yards. His role diminished even further this past year, as he threw just eight passes despite suiting up for all 18 games in 2025. He completed six of those for 47 yards, while Mitchell went on to be named the East Division finalist for Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row.

“You want to talk about somebody who’s in the building and preparing like he’s going to start and play every week — he is that guy. Not just in words, but in action,” Steinauer said of Powell. “There’s no doubt that that’s a tough spot to be in when you have a guy that plays all 18 games and is having the high achievement that Bo is having. Every backup wants to start; you want people like that. You want everybody in your organization to be that. But then on the flip side, you want them to also understand that everybody can’t start, and you want them to root for the person that’s in front of them, no matter the position. I think Taylor epitomizes that.”

Despite his lack of playing time the past two seasons, the Ticats remain high on Powell’s potential, and they aren’t alone. With the starting jobs already set in stone for all nine CFL franchises, the 27-year-old is arguably the best quarterback still slated to hit free agency on February 10.

Teams with aging starters or suspect depth are likely to target the Eastern Michigan product, who has the added allure of having developed under a QB whisperer in Milanovich.  The Ticats’ head coach has a great track record with backups, giving Zach Collaros, Trevor Harris, Cody Fajardo, and McLeod Bethel-Thompson their starts in the CFL.

Powell will have to decide if his best path to starting remains patiently waiting behind Mitchell, as he did ahead of 2025, or if there is a more enticing situation out there — a fact which Steinauer is not naive to.

“There’s only nine starters in our league, and obviously, the backups all want to be in that position,” he acknowledged.

Mitchell is currently the only quarterback under contract with Hamilton for 2026, as Harrison Frost and Jake Dolegala are also pending free agents.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished first in the East Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record, though the team lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Bo Levi Mitchell led the CFL with 5,296 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions after starting all 18 regular-season games, earning the East Division’s nomination for Most Outstanding Player.

The Tiger-Cats ranked third in net offence, eighth in net defence, and first with a turnover differential of plus-ten. The club’s leading rusher was Greg Bell with 1,038 yards, the leading receiver was Kenny Lawler with 1,443 yards, and the leading tackler was Stavros Katsantonis with 69 tackles. Hamilton ranked fourth in attendance with average crowds of 22,858, which was a 3.9 percent increase from the previous year.