Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
The Ottawa Redblacks have officially signed running back Greg Bell to a two-year contract through the 2027 CFL season. 3DownNation exclusively reported the agreement during the negotiation window.
Bell becomes the highest-paid American RB in the three-down league. His compensation with Ottawa surpasses Dedrick Mills with the Calgary Stampeders. He goes from a two-year rookie deal to setting a new benchmark at the position.
The 27-year-old originally signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in March 2024. He dressed for eight games as a CFL rookie, registering 94 carries for 625 yards, 6.6 per carry, with six touchdowns on the ground plus 29 receptions for 230 yards and one major.
Bell produced a breakout season for the Ticats in 2025, recording 184 carries for 1,038 yards, 5.6 per carry, with five touchdowns and 62 catches for 426 yards while finding pay dirt through the air once. He led all CFL backs in receptions last season, edging Canadian Brady Oliveira by one, and earned East Division all-star honours for his efforts.
The six-foot, 200-pound ball-carrier signed with the Detroit Lions after going unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft and also had a stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023, though he didn’t dress for any regular season games. He earned nearly $500,000 USD during his time in the NFL.
Bell ran 358 times for 1,728 yards with 15 touchdowns, added 15 receptions for 119 yards plus one score over 21 games at San Diego State University during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He ran a 4.63 time in the 40-yard dash at the Aztecs pro day in 2022.
The Chula Vista, California native played at the University of Nebraska in 2018 where he carried the ball 35 times for 173 yards and caught four passes for 14 yards. He started his collegiate career at Arizona Western Community College, rushed 382 times for 2,404 yards with 18 touchdowns and notched 16 receptions for 214 yards in 21 games over two seasons.
Pending CFL free agents were able to communicate with teams around the league from February 1 to 8, during which time contracts could be negotiated and agreed upon but not signed. Starting, Tuesday, February 10 at noon EST, players can officially change teams.
Ottawa finished fourth in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Dru Brown went 2-7 over nine starts at quarterback, throwing for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Dustin Crum went 2-4 over six starts, throwing for 1,771 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The Redblacks ranked sixth in net offence, fifth in net defence, and ninth with a turnover differential of minus-16. The club’s leading rusher was William Stanback with 698 yards, leading receiver was Justin Hardy with 1,019 yards, and leading tackler was Adarius Pickett with 84 tackles. Ottawa finished eighth in attendance with average crowds of 18,136, which was a 4.2 percent decrease from the previous year.