As Lawler and his team get ready for their season kickoff on June 4 against the same Alouettes that eliminated them last year, here are five things to know about the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n
RELATED AN ABUNDANCE OF RICHES AT RECEIVER<\/p>\n One of the top passing offences in the CFL called Hamilton home in 2025.<\/p>\n Led by Bo Levi Mitchell<\/a> (more on him in a moment), the Tabbies finished the season first in passing touchdowns (36) and had the third-highest passing yards per game (297.4).<\/p>\n Kenny Lawler<\/a>, in his first year with the Ticats, found immediate chemistry with Mitchell, enjoying his best season so far. The 31-year-old led his team in yards (1,443), targets (144), and touchdowns (14). Unofficially, he also led the team in catches that made everyone\u2019s jaw drop.<\/p>\n Kiondr\u00e9 Smith, too, had a breakout season, hauling in 1,126 yards and five majors. Tim White<\/a> was the other 1,000-yard receiver in Hamilton, but with him departing to Winnipeg, the Ticats went to work during free agency.<\/p>\n Keric Wheatfall<\/a>, Kurleigh Gittens Jr.<\/a> and Tyson Middlemost signed as free agents, and Shemar Bridges<\/a> inked an extension, giving Mitchell plenty of talent to build on the passing attack from last season.<\/p>\n \u201c(There are) so many veterans on the team and so many guys that understand ball and understand the CFL,\u201d said Lawler. \u201cAdding that veteran leadership to the team is going to take the team and this offence to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n BO KNOWS<\/p>\n Mitchell continued to cement himself as one of the best pivots in the league in 2024 and 2025, earning back-to-back Most Outstanding Player nominations.<\/p>\n Last year felt like a vintage Mitchell campaign, as the veteran quarterback turned back the clock with one of his best performances of his career, showing few signs of slowing down. He threw a career-high 36 touchdown passes, led one of the CFL\u2019s most explosive offences and scored his first major on the ground since 2015.<\/p>\n With new weapons at his disposal, along with some returning ones, Mitchell and the Tiger-Cats believe their aerial attack can be even more dangerous this season.<\/p>\n \u201cHis arm talent is amazing, the strength that he still has,\u201d Lawler said. \u201c(He can) push the ball when he needs to throw it down the field, but then he knows when to put touch, and then the accuracy that he has. Then tie that in with the trust level that we were able to create in camp.\u201d<\/p>\n NEW MAN IN THE MIDDLE Wynton McManis<\/a> signed with the Tiger-Cats this off-season after being released by the Argos before hitting the free agent market (CFL.ca)<\/p>\n Wynton McManis<\/a> is heading down the QEW in 2026, leaving his Double Blue behind for Black and Gold.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll describe him as an anchor,\u201d Lawler said of his new teammate. \u201cSomeone that sets the defence, puts them in position, leads by not only the energy and the leadership that he has, but also with his play.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2025, McManis tallied 62 tackles, four sacks, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. And he doesn\u2019t shy away from a big game either. McManis was a standout in the 111th Grey Cup, recording six defensive tackles and three knockdowns, and he returned an interception 58 yards to set up Ka\u2019Deem Carey\u2019s touchdown late in the contest.<\/p>\n Now he takes his talents to Hamilton\u2019s opportunistic defence, one that thrived on takeaways last season. The Ticats led the CFL in interceptions (27) and tallied 72 knockdowns, one fewer than first-place Winnipeg. They also forced the most turnovers (44) and cashed in on them, scoring the most points after a takeaway (134).<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be able to get across just this fact of detail,\u201d said McManis of his role on his new team. \u201cI\u2019m coming in and I feel like, I\u2019m not saying that they\u2019re lacking detail, but I just feel like to get over a lot of humps when you look deep down into it, it\u2019s just details in certain situations.\u201d<\/p>\n With three Grey Cup wins on his resume and leadership qualities any defensive coordinator would love to have, who better to join a team looking to snap a championship drought?<\/p>\n WHO STARTS AT RUNNING BACK?<\/p>\n The major question heading into this season is who will carry the rock?<\/p>\n Last year, that job belonged to Greg Bell. The six-foot, 200-pounder rushed for 1,038 rushing yards on 184 carries in 15 games and was a key piece of the Ticats offence. But with Bell joining the Ottawa REDBLACKS as a free agent, the backfield feels wide open.<\/p>\n Canadian Johnny Augustine has the most experience of the group after he suited up in 17 games last season. He took 61 handoffs for 242 yards and got in on the passing game, hauling in 12 receptions for 134 yards. Ante Litre<\/a> is another running back on the team, but he was mainly used on short yardage plays for the last few seasons.<\/p>\n
\u00bb\u00a05 Things to Know for 2026: Saskatchewan Roughriders<\/a>
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\u00bb 5 Things to Know for 2026: Ottawa REDBLACKS<\/a>
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