Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks
The Edmonton Elks have signed American defensive back JJ Ross to a contract extension through the 2027 CFL season.
Ross was already under contract for the 2026 three-down league season and added one more year to his existing deal.
The six-foot-three, 195-pound cover man began the 2025 regular season on Edmonton’s practice roster. He was elevated into a starting role for Week 8 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The 24-year-old started 13 games for the Green and Gold, registering 52 defensive tackles, a team-leading three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He forced five turnovers in his final six games last season and recorded all seven of his pass knockdowns over that stretch.
Ross originally joined the Elks in July 2024. He spent some time on the team’s practice roster and made his CFL debut on August 25 in a Week 12 contest against Montreal.
Prior to his time in the CFL, Ross played collegiately for the University of Western Illinois.
Edmonton finished fifth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 7-11 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Cody Fajardo started the team’s final 13 regular-season games and went 6-7, throwing for 3,408 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Tre Ford started the first five, going 1-4, and threw for 984 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Elks ranked ninth in net offence, ninth in net defence, and fifth with a turnover differential of plus-four. The team’s leading rusher was Justin Rankin with 1,013 yards, leading receiver was Kaion Julien-Grant with 820 yards, and leading tackler was Joel Dublanko with 80 tackles. Edmonton finished seventh in attendance with average crowds of 19,050, which was a 7.1 percent decrease from the previous year.