EDMONTON \u2013 The Elks commitment to continuity this offseason begins with Tyrell Ford.<\/p>\n
Edmonton announced they had locked up the star corner for an additional two seasons<\/a>, tying the outstanding Canadian to the Green and Gold through the 2027 season. Ford still had a year left on his deal prior to the new arrangement, but the Elks and the top defender were excited to commit to each other and continue building towards a winner in the City of Champions.<\/p>\n \u201cTyrell Ford\u2019s contract extension is a move that reinforces our commitment to building a championship-caliber team,\u201d Elks VP of Football Operations and General Manager Ed Hervey said in a release. \u201cHis consistency and professionalism reflect the culture we are establishing, and this decision underscores our focus on continuity, elite talent, and long-term success.\u201d<\/p>\n For Ford, the new deal gives him a chance to settle in with a team and a system for the long haul. Edmonton sported one of the youngest secondaries in the CFL in 2025, and Ford will be expected to lead the group into next year.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought season went good,\u201d Ford said \u201cObviously, we didn\u2019t make it to the playoffs, but I thought as a team we grew a lot, especially in the secondary. A lot of young guys and you kind of want to keep that together.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The 27-year-old didn\u2019t put up the same eye popping numbers as his 2024 All-CFL season, but a look at the film shows a defensive back as good as any in the CFL.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t have all the interceptions and stuff, but I also got targeted way less than I did in my first year,\u201d Ford said. \u201cI thought I tackled better. I was a little bit more physical this year, which I liked, but I thought I had a good year.\u201d<\/p>\n The Green and Gold certainly had their ups and downs on the defensive side of the ball, but by the end of the season they had become one of the stingiest units in the CFL. As the team gelled, they went from allowing 34.0 points per game (ppg) in their first five contest, to a 22.1 ppg in the final 13 contests \u2013 a mark that would have ranked first in the Canadian Football League over a full season.<\/p>\n The defensive backfield also began to force turnovers, something they had not done earlier in the year. Prior to Ford\u2019s game changing pick-six against the Montreal Alouettes in Week 10, the only interception by the Green and Gold all season had belonged to defensive lineman Jake Ceresna. At that point, the Elks defence languished behind the league in every major statistical category. Through seven games (nine weeks), they were last in sacks (5), pass knockdowns (16), forced fumbles (0), and interceptions (1) \u2013 usually by a large margin.<\/p>\n Edmonton\u2019s defence began to turn a corner, and in the final 11 games it was a completely different story. The Elks racked up sacks (19), pass knockdowns (30), forced fumbles (8), and interceptions (12) as the team began to stack up the victories. It was an evolution that Ford noticed, and has him excited for what the unit could look like in 2026.<\/p>\n Tyrell Ford with the clean pick flips the momentum!#CFLGameday<\/a>
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