As July wrapped up, the Canadian Football League completed a quarter of its exciting year. With fierce competition, the Canadian product continues to provide enthralling entertainment for sports fans. With eight weeks of play in the books, now is a great time to reflect on this season’s events.
Who’s on top?
In the Western Division, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have put up an impressive 6-1 season so far. Quarterback Trevor Harris has taken the helm for the Riders’ offense, throwing eleven touchdowns and continuing his record-setting streak of 10 games with at least a 70% completion rate.
Returning from his hip injury from last year, former Argonaut A.J. Ouellette has also had a notable season. In the Riders’ June 20 match against his former team, Ouellette set a career-high in rushing, earning 139 yards in 23 carries. With great offensive performances, it is no surprise that the Roughriders currently hold first place in the West.
The Calgary Stampeders, second in the Western Division, have completed quite the turnaround since their last-place 5-12 2024 season. The Stamps acquired Vernon Adams Jr. from the B.C. Lions just nine days after the 2024 Grey Cup. With a new star quarterback, Calgary was all-in on a playoff push to return to its winning ways.
Adams’ 1,913 passing yards places him second in the league, only behind Toronto’s Nick Arbuckle. Offensive success for Calgary is not exclusive to the quarterback position, though. Halfback Dedrick Mills leads the CFL in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, while receiver Damien Alford leads all rookies in touchdown receptions.
On the other side of the ball, defensive lineman Jaylon Hutchings’ four sacks are tied for second in the league. Furthermore, Adrian Greene’s four interceptions led all players. Calgary’s defense as a whole also leads the CFL in points off of takeaways by a margin of ten points.
In the Eastern Division, Montreal and Hamilton are tied for first place with a record of 5-2. The Montreal Alouettes, stating a 0.714 winning percentage, currently face uncertainty regarding their quarterback situation. After trading Cody Fajardo, who led Montreal to the 2023 title, to the Elks, the team turned to Davis Alexander.
Alexander has started his career undefeated and has had a decent season, charting 1,106 passing yards and six touchdowns. However, he suffered an injury against Toronto in July, and his expected return is still unknown. In the meantime, McLeod Bethel-Thompson has taken over the starting role, where he won his first game of the year against the Stampeders.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats entered the year looking to break their Grey Cup drought that last saw them victorious in 1999. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has been producing another stellar season, with some projecting him to win the CFL’s MOP award. Additionally, receiver Kenny Lawler has put the league on stand-by, having the most receiving yards and touchdown receptions.
Who’s falling short?
The Edmonton Elks, once again, are facing a difficult start to the year. Starting the 2025 season with a record of 1-5, the team has found itself in the cellar of the Western Division. On top of their performance struggles, questions surrounding their quarterback room have filled headlines.
The Elks started the season with young quarterback Tre Ford leading the offense. Through his first five games, Ford accumulated 984 yards while throwing five touchdowns and three interceptions. Fajardo started over Ford in the Elks’ most recent game against the Roughriders. With the change not exactly turning around the team’s luck, many have noted the problems that extend beyond the quarterback position.
While the Ti-Cats may be performing well, their Ontario counterparts in the Ottawa RedBlacks and Toronto Argonauts cannot say the same. The RedBlacks are off to a disastrous start, posting a 1-6 record. On top of their poor performance on the field, their starting quarterback, Dru Brown, was injured on a controversial play against Hamilton.
Though the Argos may only be one win better than the RedBlacks, the reigning Grey-Cup champions are still falling well short of expectations. Similar to the Elks, Toronto’s season has been overshadowed by quarterback controversy. Expected starter Chad Kelly has not seen the field since his injury in last season’s semi-final game.
As he did in the 111th Grey Cup, Arbuckle has taken over the starting role in the meantime. Alternately, Toronto holds exclusive negotiating rights with former Colorado star Shedeur Sanders. Some have suggested that Sanders could benefit from CFL experience should he not earn the position with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.