6 biggest surprises midway through 2025 CFL season

The midway point of the CFL season comes with reflection on the expectations going into the season.

And to be honest, how many actually think this season has played out exactly as you envisioned it?

If you said yes, you’re either lying to yourself, or you should take my job as the CFL predictor.

But here are my three biggest surprises for every team and my three biggest surprise individual performances so far this season.

This includes the good, the bad, the pleasant surprises midway through 2025.

TEAM SURPRISES

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

With all the changes in Calgary over the last few years, from coaching staff to team personnel to roster turnover, I thought the Stampeders could go 6-3 in the back half of the season after a slow start. I didn’t think we’d see the Stamps make this type of jump.

Yes, Vernon Adams Jr. coming on board had the potential of improving the Stampeders but the biggest reason for the surprise is their defence.

The moves on defence had so much change from their defensive line through the linebackers and secondary, as well as saying goodbye to long time coordinator Brent Monson.

Moves like that usually have the makings of misery and early season frustration. Instead, the changes appear to be the right mix for Dave Dickenson and company. The fact that they are the best defence in some key defensive statistics was not on my bingo card.

They’ve had an impressive start to the year. Now we’ll see if they can keep it going through the second half.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

Sure, when you’re without Chad Kelly through the first half of the season there could be some hard times, but after surviving through the first half with Kelly’s suspension last year, I didn’t see them in the basement of the CFL and tied with the Edmonton Elks with two wins.

The big surprise was the release of Ka’Deem Carey, and that move appears to be backfiring. Yes, Carey is out for the season with a nasty injury he suffered after signing with the Roughriders, but the Argonauts have no run game at all and it’s hampering their offence.

Then there are the other injuries that are impacting the depth of the Argonauts, whose strength was the ‘next man up’ mentality they had with two championships over the last three seasons.

Another surprise in Toronto has been how long the lingering injury for Chad Kelly has actually been.

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

This one is more of a pleasant surprise than it is a major surprise.

Did I foresee the Riders being the best team in the league at the halfway point? Sure. Did I see a 7-1 start with Trevor Harris playing some of the best football of his career without Kian Schaffer-Baker and Samuel Emilus for a big chunk of the first half and three different left tackles? Nope.

As much as the Argos depth is being exposed, the Roughriders depth is being highlighted week in and week out.

As the injuries piled up early in the year, it felt like many were waiting for the house of cards to tumble. Instead, we’ve learned that the ‘build it’ mantra from last year did build a tremendous foundation for Saskatchewan’s success in 2025.

INDIVIDUAL SURPRISES

DAMONTE COXIE

After throwing the Argonauts in this article as a bad surprise, there has been a bright spot. Damonte Coxie is becoming an unstoppable force within that receiving corps. Yes, Coxie has had some good seasons but talk about a breakout season this year.

The big-play star of the Argonauts is on pace for over 1,500 yards receiving in 2025.

He’s battling the likes of Kenny Lawler, Eugene Lewis and Keon Hatcher Sr. for top receiver in the CFL.

I love a good breakout season for a new potential superstar in the CFL!!

TRE FORD

You have to wonder if Tre Ford will ever be able to figure it all out. We’re all cheering for him as one of the young exciting Canadian quarterbacks in the league but the reason he falls on the surprise list is the fact that the Elks moved on from him as quickly as they did.

After being quite adamant in the off-season that Ford was a face of the franchise as he was a major part of marketing the 2025 season in Edmonton, it was a quick pull to Cody Fajardo.

Yes, the move has been justified with how efficient Fajardo has been compared to Ford, but it’s still one of my biggest surprises to see Ford not flourish with Jordan Maksymic running the offence in Edmonton.

DAMIEN ALFORD

Place this under a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately the first overall pick has landed on the injured list for the last few weeks, but after watching first overall picks take some time, you never expect them to hit the end zone five times in a three-week span in the first half of their first season.

Orville Lee was the last first overall pick to have this type of impact.

If Damien Alford gets healthy again, I can’t wait to see what he does in the second half because it’s great to see a young Canadian draft pick excel and fit right in early.

6 biggest surprises midway through 2025 CFL season

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