![\"2026](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/FreeAgencyLogo2026-800x642.png\")
2026 CFL FREE AGENCY\u00bb\u00a0CFL.ca\u2019s top 30 pending free agents<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Where every CFL team stands ahead of Free Agency<\/a>
\u00bb Tiger-Cats sign linebacker Wynton McManis<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0More 2026 Free Agency news and analysis<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0What you missed from the first day of the Free Agency Communication Window<\/a><\/p>\n
HOW DO THE TORONTO ARGONAUTS PUT THE QUARTERBACK IN THE BEST POSITION TO SUCCEED?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
After being named Toronto\u2019s new head coach, Mike Miller<\/a> declared that Chad Kelly<\/a> will be healthy to start the season and enter training camp as the undisputed No. 1 quarterback.<\/p>\n Assuming the 2023 Most Outstanding Player is fully healthy, the next question becomes simple: how do Pinball Clemons and company get Kelly back to the quarterback who went 15-1 as a starter three years ago?<\/p>\n Most of the top free agent receivers have already reportedly been signed or extended, and the Argonauts are rumored to lose last season\u2019s leading receiver, Dejon Brissett<\/a>, to Calgary. That raises several questions.<\/p>\n Do they ensure DaVaris Daniels doesn\u2019t leave the building, considering he topped 1,000 yards with Kelly in 2023? Do they closely monitor Dohnte Meyers\u2019 NFL opportunities<\/a>? Along the offensive line, how much impact can new faces have on a group that allowed the most sacks last season, or was health the real issue?<\/p>\n And finally, who is out there to improve a running game that averaged just over 50 yards per game? With Ottawa potentially signing<\/a> Greg Bell<\/a>, is there a back who can help take pressure off Kelly in 2026?<\/p>\n WHO WILL BE BACKING UP ZACH COLLAROS?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Judging by how busy general manager Kyle Walters has been, the Blue Bombers have made it clear they are all-in on winning the 113th Grey Cup.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t bring back veterans like Stanley Bryant<\/a>\u00a0and Willie Jefferson<\/a> if you\u2019re rebuilding. However, unless you enjoy incredible injury luck, you\u2019re not winning a championship without a reliable backup quarterback.<\/p>\n Just look at Toronto\u2019s last two Grey Cup wins.<\/p>\n Zach Collaros<\/a>\u2019 2025 season was hampered by injuries, and he attempted his fewest passes since 2021. At 37, the Bombers will need a capable backup to keep the team afloat if he misses time.<\/p>\n As someone who didn\u2019t advance past Grade 10 science, I won\u2019t make medical proclamations about Chris Streveler\u2019s recovery, but it\u2019s fair to say his late-season ACL injury puts his availability in question.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a potential option such as Tre Ford<\/a>, has already signed a deal with Hamilton<\/a>. Taylor Powell<\/a> and Jake Maier also have already reportedly agreed to deals elsewhere. Looking at Winnipeg\u2019s current quarterback room, only one player has ever attempted a CFL pass: Terry Wilson, with just 22 career attempts over two seasons.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a thin margin for error.<\/p>\n WHAT MOVES CAN THE 2025 DIVISION LEADERS MAKE?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The sky is not falling in either Saskatchewan or Hamilton.<\/p>\n The Tiger-Cats return the Bo Levi Mitchell<\/a>\u2013Kenny Lawler<\/a> connection and a solid offensive line. Defensively, they still feature All-CFL talent in Julian Howsare<\/a>, Stavros Katsantonis<\/a>, and Jamal Peters. Add in the intrigue of Tre Ford<\/a> and Wynton McManis in a new setting, and Hamilton remains fascinating.<\/p>\n Still, they\u2019ve reportedly lost one of the league\u2019s top interior linemen in Coulter Woodmansey, their leading rusher in Greg Bell<\/a>, and key secondary pieces in Jonathan Moxey<\/a> and DaShaun Amos. With Ottawa improving and the continued rise of Davis Alexander, the East is shaping up as a true three-horse race.<\/p>\n In Saskatchewan, the Roughriders can feel good about their passing game, with Trevor Harris\u2019 main targets back in the fold. However, like many defending champions, they\u2019re dealing with a significant defensive talent exodus just as Winnipeg and Edmonton load up to knock them off.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see how Jeremy O\u2019Day responds in the coming days and weeks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cBoy, that escalated quickly.\u201d That quote from media legend Ron Burgundy has been bouncing around in my head…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":456169,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-456168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456168\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/456169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=456168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=456168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}