Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
Jake Ceresna is likely heading to CFL free agency next month and he’s fully recovered from the knee injury that spoiled his 2025 season.
Ceresna suffered a bucket handle meniscus tear in late June, though it went undetected on his initial MRI. The injury often results in cartilage flipping and getting caught inside the joint, momentarily locking the knee in place.
The 31-year-old fought to play through the ailment for two months, indicating it didn’t bother him too badly at times. He was carted off the field against the B.C. Lions in July, then his season came to an end against the Calgary Stampeders in the Labour Day Classic.
“(The meniscus) essentially flipped and stayed stuck in my knee, and it kind of locked up my knee in a bent position. I wasn’t able to put any weight on it and I had to use surgery to get it unstuck,” Ceresna told 3DownNation via telephone on Wednesday.
“They couldn’t tell me what exactly was going on (after the initial assessment in June), so that was part of the reason (I played through the injury in July and August). I’m also a guy that likes to play through stuff. I’m a little hard-headed and stubborn and I didn’t want to come off the field. (Playing hurt) is part of the game and when you’ve got your teammates, you don’t want to let people down and you just find a way.”
Ceresna could have undergone surgery to trim the meniscus, which would have allowed him to make a relatively quick return to the lineup. Instead, he chose to have it fully repaired, which he’s hoping will allow him to play another five or six years.
The six-foot-four, 295-pound defender made only 16 defensive tackles, one sack, and one interception over 11 regular-season games in 2025 — the lowest production of his career. He understands those who question if he’ll ever return to being a dominant player.
“I didn’t produce (in 2025), I didn’t do what I was supposed to do, so I’ve got no arguments about that. The biggest worry with a guy getting injured is, ‘Are they going to be the same player?’ They’re going to have their worries and you know what? I’m not going to be the same player, I’m going to be a better player going into 2026,” said Ceresna.
“All I can do is show with my actions. I know there’s gonna be people that don’t believe in me or question if I’ve still got it and that’s fine — that’s just gonna add fuel to the fire and it’s gonna motivate me more and more to prove them wrong.”
The native of New Fairfield, Conn. set new career-highs in 2023 with 48 defensive tackles and 12 sacks. He was named All-CFL in 2022 with the Edmonton Elks and again in 2024 with the Toronto Argonauts, when he won his first Grey Cup.
Ceresna has made a full recovery from knee surgery and claims his body feels better than it did at any point over the last few offseasons. He hasn’t ruled out a return to Edmonton, though he suspects he’ll likely be with a new club for 2026.
“I’m still holding out hope Edmonton works out, we’ll see — things go up in the air. I got hurt and I didn’t do what I was supposed to do last year and if they choose to go in a different direction, that’s their choice and there’s no grudges about it,” he said.
“We’ll see what happens. If not, I’m welcome to any team that wants me and believes in me. All I’m asking for is an opportunity to go out there and and show what I got and dominate.”
The CFL free agency communications window is scheduled to open on Sunday, February 1 at noon EST, allowing teams to negotiate with all pending free agents. Deals cannot be ratified until free agency officially gets underway on Tuesday, February 10 at noon EST.