After claiming two of the past three Grey Cups and making the playoffs every year post-pandemic, the Toronto Argonauts were looking to repeat that success in 2025.
That, of course, did not happen.
Injuries to key players – including quarterback Chad Kelly missing the whole season recovering from a broken leg suffered in the 2024 East Final – derailed the season, as the team lacked depth to overcome the issues after losing an abundance of talent to free agency over the past three years.
Toronto plummeted down the standings as a result, finishing with a 5-13 record, the second worst in the CFL and the team’s worst finish since 2019.
To make matters worse, now former head coach and offensive coordinator, Ryan Dinwiddie, jumped ship to the nation’s capital, adding general manager to his duties with the Ottawa Redblacks.
As a result, it’s basically an entirely new coaching staff heading into this season, as only three coaches were retained from last year, including the promoted Mike Miller as head coach and offensive coordinator.
The front office has also changed around general manager Michael Clemons.
Former assistant general manager John Murphy is out, while John Hufnagel (senior advisor to the general manager and head coach) and Jim Barker (Director of Player Personnel) are in.
As for the roster, let’s take a look at where the Argonauts stand, less than two weeks away from the communication window opening.
The Free Agency Communication Window, in which teams can openly speak with any clubs pending free agents, opens Feb.1 at 12 p.m. ET and closes Feb.8 at 12 p.m. ET. The official CFL free agency period opens Feb.10 at 12 p.m. ET
Pending Free Agents
* = Canadian
FB Felix Garand-Gauthier*
SB Dejon Brissett*
SB DaVaris Daniels
WR/KR Janarion Grant
OG Dylan Giffen*
OG Ryan Sceviour*
OG Shane Richards*
DE Thiadric Hansen
DE Bryan Cox Jr.
DT J-Min Pelley*
DT/DE Anthony Lanier II
LB Wynton McManis
LB Brian Harelimana*
NKL Branden Dozier
HB Kenneth George Jr.
A lot of work has already been done, as the Argonauts have the second fewest pending free agents in the league remaining (15), with linebacker Wynton McManis and receivers in Canadian Dejon Brissett and American DaVaris Daniels being the biggest decisions they have left to make on.
Offence
Toronto Argonauts Depth Chart
Offensively, Toronto returns a lot – even outside of Brissett and Daniels – including a healthy Kelly at quarterback.
The Argonauts will hope Kelly returns to form before the injury, when he captured the Most Outstanding Player award in 2023 and averaged the second-most passing yards per game (272.3) in nine games in 2024. Kelly, Miller, and co. will have to change the offensive approach, however, as last year’s formula was not a winning one.
Toronto passed the ball a whopping 77.3 per cent of the time in 2025, the most north of the border by nearly 10 per cent. A lot of that was out of necessity, as the team wasn’t even somewhat effective at running the ball until late in the year, overall finishing last in average yards per rush (3.9) despite having the lowest attempts by far (238).
CFL teams’ pass play percentage vs run play percentage in 2025:
Toronto – 77.3% / 22.8%
Hamilton – 68.9% / 31.1%
Ottawa – 68.7% / 31.3%
Montreal – 67.2% / 32.8%
BC – 66.8% / 33.2%
Edmonton – 65.3% / 34.7%
Saskatchewan – 62.1% / 37.9%
Winnipeg – 60.6% / 39.4%
Calgary – 59.7% /…
— Coty Wiles (@CotyWilesSports) January 2, 2026
Toronto will need a more balanced attack in 2026, and there’s a couple of things working in their favour for an improved run game: Kelly’s legs, tackle Ryan Hunter back healthy, and Spencer Brown.
The 27-year-old Brown is a physical runner at 6-foot, 220 pounds as he helped Toronto cobble together some semblance of a run game in the back half of the year once his rights were acquired from the Edmonton Elks. He also showed an ability to receive out of the back field, as his averages of 4.7 catches and 32.2 receiving yards per game sat first and third respectively among backs.
Brown took over the starting role from Deonta McMahon – who also remains under contract and will offer as a change of pace back as lightning to Brown’s thunder – and is projected to lead the backfield in 2026.
Getting a fully healthy Hunter back at right tackle will also be a huge boost, as the 30-year-old has been one of the best run-blocking tackles in the CFL since his arrival in Toronto. The Canadian was held to only 12 games last season after suffering a significant shoulder injury after being hit by a car.
As for the rest of offensive line, Peter Nicastro is one of the best all-around centres north of the border, while Sage Doxtater is a massive 6-foot-7 and 343 pounds who brings an equally massive pedigree to left guard after bouncing around the NFL for nearly four years as a former top CFL draft prospect.
The biggest weaknesses on the offence last season as a whole, however, came at left tackle and right guard.
The left tackle position was a revolving door as Toronto struggled to replace former Most Outstanding Lineman Dejon Allen, especially in pass protection. Americans Brandon Kemp, George Moore, and Hampton Ergle were all in the bottom eight among tackles in pressure rate allowed, while young Canadians John Bosse and Anthony Vandal both struggled while splitting time at right guard.
If Clemons was to upgrade somewhere offensively, those would be the spots, as the wide receiver core is also talented and intact.
Americans Damonte Coxie, Jake Herslow, and Makai Polk all were limited to less than 13 games for various reasons in 2025, but were all impactful.
The American trio’s receiving yards per game all were in the top 20 – including Coxie’s 85.4 sitting second – and bring a diverse set of skillsets. Coxie and Polk – who didn’t share the field together in 2025 – working the short side together with Kelly at the helm once again will provide dynamism that the offence lacked last season.
Rounding out the projected starters are Canadians in 2025’s receptions leader (102) Kevin Mital and wideout David Ungerer III. Both are some of the better checkdown options in the league and great complimentary options.
Defence
Toronto Argonauts Defence Depth Chart
Onto the defence, where in comes Greg Quick as defensive coordinator. The 69-year-old joins Toronto’s staff after holding various roles with the Montreal Alouettes over the past five years, while being a one-time defensive play caller, managing the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ unit in 2015.
Toronto has retained most of its impact players from last season on the defensive unit as well, and has even done some early shopping by bringing back defensive tackle Ralph Holley and nickel Adarius Pickett.
The former is one of, if not the best interior pass rusher in the CFL, tying for the league lead in sacks (eight) and chipping in 22 tackles in 16 games when he last played in 2024.
Along the line, he’ll presumably be joined by Andrew Chatfield Jr. on the strong side, another one of the league’s premier pass rushers. The 27-year-old had a breakout season in 2025, finishing fifth in pressures (56) and pressure rate (12.4), eighth in sacks (seven), and second in tackles among linemen (42).
This is a duo that could cause opposing offensive lines trouble in pass protection on the strong side next season.
The rest of the projected starters in the trenches are Derek Parish on the edge and DeMarcus Christmas on the interior. The latter only played in two games last season after suffering an Achilles injury early, but has more than 40 CFL games under his belt.
Parish is one of the more underrated edge guys in the league, putting together 53 tackles and 11 sacks in 34 games over the past two years. The 27-year-old has also popped as a run defender.
At the second level, the headliner is the returning Pickett, who slots into the nickel/strong-side linebacker role after two years with the Ottawa Redblacks.
Pickett’s best year as a pro came in his lone season with the Argonauts in 2023, where he put up the second most total tackles (124) and the third most sacks by a non-lineman (six). The 29-year-old also has familiarity with Quick, having crossed paths in Montreal for two years, in 2021 and 2022.
With the Argonauts allowing the second most rushing yards per game (105.7) and fourth most average yards per carry (5.2) in 2025, adding one of, if not the best second level run defender in the league in Pickett will surely help.
On the weak-side, Cam Judge returns after stuffing the stat sheet in his first year back in Toronto in 2025. The 31-year-old finished near the top of the league in total defensive plays (100) and second in tackles for loss (six). He is as solid as they come.
The question comes at middle linebacker, where it remains uncertain if the Argonauts and Wynton McManis can come to an agreement. The 31-year-old is one of the best remaining pending free agents across the league and remains unsigned by Clemons, even though the two sides are in contact.
“We have been in negotiations with [McManis] for quite a while,” said Clemons at the CFL’s off-season winter meetings. “He’s obviously been a leader on our team, and we do desire to have him in the double blue, but again, we are working to it. It hasn’t happened yet, so we’ll continue to work towards that point.”
If McManis doesn’t return, 25-year-old Americans Isaac Darkangelo and Aaron Casey (who received an NFL workout from the Indianapolis Colts) had strong finishes to 2025 and are under contract and ready to step in.
Overall, the current front seven, even without free agent additions, should cause havoc as it’s filled with aggressive players who can get off blocks. With Quick at the helm and potentially bringing a more attacking, downhill style, look for Toronto to improve on its 41 sacks (fourth) and 28 tackles for loss (fifth) from a year ago.
The issues, however, could potentially arise on the back end.
If Clemons were to make additions to the defence, the secondary would be the place to do it. The starting group from last season remains under contract, though they weren’t particularly good.
The Argos allowed the highest opponent completion percentage (72.3 per cent), the most big plays (59), and the most completions of 30 plus yards (39) in 2025.
American safety Derek Slywka and 2025 interceptions leader Tarvarus McFadden stand out, while Benjie Franklin has shown promise at weak-side corner over the past two seasons. Halfback Darius Bratton and corner Delonte Hood have had moments as well, but overall it’s a somewhat underwhelming group that got picked apart deep.
It wouldn’t be shocking if additions are made to round out a projected solid team that should be back competing for at least another East Division title.