\u00bb\u00a05 Things to Know for 2026: Saskatchewan Roughriders<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a05 Things to Know for 2026: Montreal Alouettes<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a05 Things to Know for 2026: BC Lions<\/a>
\u00bb 5 Things to Know for 2026: Ottawa REDBLACKS<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Key 2026 off-season dates you need to know<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Subscribe to the CFL\u2019s official YouTube channel<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Subscribe to the CFL\u2019s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Season-Predictor-1270x415-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Then there was major movement within the roster as general manager Michael Clemons and company try to rebuild a roster that can contend in a much stronger East Division with the improvements in Ottawa and All-CFL quarterback play in Montreal and Hamilton.<\/p>\n
There is definitely plenty to know ahead of the Argonauts\u2019 2026 season.<\/p>\n
So let\u2019s dig into the five things you need to know about the Toronto Argonauts before CFL Kickoff.<\/p>\n
1. NEW BOSS<\/p>\n
Mike Miller<\/a> steps into the head coaching office as Ryan Dinwiddie heads to Ottawa.<\/p>\n What should you expect from Mike Miller<\/a> as the head coach? How are we to know? Miller has never been a head coach despite a lengthy coaching career that goes from university to the NFL and through the CFL.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t sleep on a veteran coach with little head coaching experience. I\u2019ll reference back to another Miller that I got to cover closely in Saskatchewan. Ken Miller took over for a Grey Cup champion head coach in Saskatchewan as a bit of an underwhelming hire. Many, at the time, questioned how you follow up Kent Austin with a career assistant, but the late Miller proved to be the solid steady head coach they needed. They would appear in back-to-back Grey Cups and start a core group of players that would eventually win the 2013 Grey Cup, two years after Miller\u2019s retirement.<\/p>\n So don\u2019t sleep on Mike Miller<\/a> being the steady force the Argos need after a tumultuous off-season. He\u2019s got a great resume of working with quarterbacks to career seasons like McLeod Bethel-Thompson<\/a>, Chad Kelly<\/a> and Nick Arbuckle.<\/p>\n Miller has seen it all in football so nothing should rattle him. His toughest challenge will be building a culture that can return the Argonauts to their championship ways with a remade roster.<\/p>\n 2. THE RETURN OF CHAD<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You probably thought I\u2019d start here.<\/p>\n Chad Kelly<\/a> IS BACK!<\/p>\n After a CFL Most Outstanding Player Award it has been a rough ride for Kelly. There has been a suspension and significant injury, so Chad Kelly<\/a> has missed more games than played over the last two seasons, including all of 2025.<\/p>\n But now Toronto has their franchise quarterback behind centre this season. I do believe it\u2019s a legitimate question to ponder what Kelly is going to look like after that serious leg injury and all the time away from football.<\/p>\n He\u2019ll still be able to make the throws, but will he be able to move around and extend plays, which was a big part of his brilliance three seasons ago?<\/p>\n There is a tonne of pressure on Chad Kelly<\/a> to perform. All eyes will be focused on him to help lift this team back to relevance in 2026.<\/p>\n 3. OLD FRIENDS FOR A NEW HOPE<\/p>\n I\u2019m going off the field again with the people working with Michael Clemons to rebuild the Argonauts.<\/p>\n In come John Hufnagel and Jim Barker.<\/p>\n Hufnagel was the architect of the Calgary Stampeders near dynasty from 2008 through 2019. Hufnagel brought in so much talent and if you look at the coaching staffs around the CFL, you might notice a few Calgary Stampeder connections; Dave Dickenson, Corey Mace, Ryan Dinwiddie and Mark Kilam were all under the tutelage of Huf in Calgary and three of the four have Grey Cup championships as head coaches, while Kilam enters just his second season in Edmonton.<\/p>\n Jim Barker has won five Grey Cups as a coach or in football operations and will bring another level of expertise on team building for this Argonauts group.<\/p>\n Pinball Clemons knows one thing about winning. It\u2019s more about the people around you than it is about yourself on any team, so he\u2019s made sure he\u2019s surrounding himself with championship people to help guide Toronto into a new era with Mike Miller<\/a> on the sideline.<\/p>\n 4. REBUILT LINEBACKERS<\/p>\n DENIED!<\/p>\n Adarius Pickett holds things down with a big time sack!#CFLGameday<\/a> \u2014 CFL (@CFL) September 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Wynton McManis<\/a> is gone to Hamilton, which will be hard to watch for those who loved watching him wear the Double Blue, but the team made sure Cameron Judge<\/a> got some help in the linebacking corps.<\/p>\n Adarius Pickett<\/a> and Robert Priester return to Toronto after a visit to Ottawa, as they\u2019ll be battling for playing time at coverage linebacker but will also have versatility to line up in multiple areas.<\/p>\n The bonus for the Argonauts is Isaac Darkangelo<\/a> has played considerable snaps due to injuries and piled up 60 tackles last season and continued his aggressive play with 22 special teams tackles. Darkangelo has the nose to find ball carriers. He also forced four fumbles in 2025, so he\u2019ll have a chance to shine without McManis in front of him on the depth chart.<\/p>\n This group does need to be better as they were the second-worst run defence in the league as too many teams were able to run on the Argos.<\/p>\n 5. RUN THE ROCK!<\/p>\n If you look at one part of this roster at training camp, you notice it is a wide open competition to find offensive linemen to best protect Chad Kelly<\/a> and open up holes in the run game.<\/p>\n The Argos averaged just 51.6 yards per game in rushing. That\u2019s over 30 yards per game lower than the next lowest. That was just not good enough.<\/p>\n So, in come some new blood to push the veterans.<\/p>\n I\u2019m most intrigued by the impact Dakoda Shepley<\/a> will have for this offensive line. The 31-year-old was the fifth overall selection of the Roughriders in 2018. He played one year for the Riders and was the team\u2019s nominee for Most Outstanding Rookie and then it was off to the NFL for the next six seasons. He didn\u2019t get to play a lot but was going up against some tough talent to stick for that long down south.<\/p>\n He\u2019ll bolster the interior of the line and then on the outside they have brought in numerous tackles to improve the group.<\/p>\n This all comes at a time during an open competition at running back for the Argonauts. They\u2019ve already released the incumbent<\/a> Spencer Brown<\/a>, so they\u2019ll have a new running back to showcase and need to find a new star to help ease the pressure we\u2019ve already discussed on Chad Kelly<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcc5: Blue Bombers vs. @REDBLACKS<\/a> LIVE NOW
\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6: TSN, CTV, RDS
\ud83c\udf0e: CFL+ pic.twitter.com\/JeIJNr0Qj1<\/a><\/p>\n