\u00bb\u00a0Everything you need to know ahead of the 2026 CFL season<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0CFL players reveal anonymous Power Rankings<\/a>
\u00bb 7 milestones to watch during the 2026 CFL season<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a03 most improved teams according to CFL players<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0A.J. Allen\u2019s top running backs in the CFL<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Buy tickets for the 2026 CFL season<\/a>
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BC LIONS | CAN THE BIG BOYS UP FRONT PROTECT NATHAN ROURKE\u2019S BLIND SIDE?<\/p>\n Jarell Broxton<\/a> left a massive hole on the BC offensive line this off-season by signing with Winnipeg.<\/p>\n The six-foot-five, 325-pound behemoth constantly steered defensive linemen to the inside, allowing Nathan Rourke the time and space to throw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions last season. Offensive linemen rarely generate headlines \u2014 unless they mess up \u2014 but Broxton\u2019s impact can\u2019t be understated.<\/p>\n Kory Woodruff<\/a> has been getting the first look as his replacement, bouncing outside from his regular spot at guard. Woodruff says he sees Broxton as a big brother, and he credits the All-CFL lineman for teaching him over the last few years. But Woodruff, 26, says he\u2019s ready to take the torch.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n CALGARY STAMPEDERS | CAN THE STAMPS SUCCEED UNDER PRESSURE AS GREY CUP HOSTS?<\/p>\n Head coach\/general manager Dave Dickenson is no stranger to the extra scrutiny that comes with hosting the Grey Cup, and Calgary is hungry for a return to the championship game for the first time since 2018.<\/p>\n True to their long-standing philosophy, the Stampeders held off on making big changes during the off-season in favour of sticking with the long-term game plan that features savvy veteran Vernon Adams Jr. at quarterback, bulldozer Dedrick Mills<\/a> at tailback and the trio of Reggie Begelton<\/a>, Jalen Philpot and Tevin Jones<\/a> at receiver.<\/p>\n On defence, the Stamps are trying to fill the massive hole left by Jaylon Hutchings departing for the NFL. But overall, the 2026 Stampeders look much like the 2025 Stampeders, and Dickenson is banking on those players giving Calgary fans a chance to cheer on the Stamps at a hometown Grey Cup.<\/p>\n EDMONTON ELKS | CAN THE ELKS AVOID ANOTHER AWFUL START?\u00a0<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t take a football guru to determine every team wants to start the season off right with confidence-building wins and valuable points in the standings (they count no matter when you earn them.) But the importance of a strong start is arguably highest in Edmonton with the Elks in Year 2 of the Mark Kilam era.<\/p>\n In his first season as head coach, Kilam\u2019s Elks posted a 1-6 record through the first seven games, a slight improvement from Edmonton\u2019s 0-7 record in 2024 and an abysmal 0-9 start in 2023.<\/p>\n From the outside, there\u2019s plenty of reason for optimism for a team that last qualified for the playoffs in 2019. Quarterback Cody Fajardo is dependable, accurate and a proven winner with two Grey Cup titles on his resume. Tailback Justin Rankin is a top-flight threat on the ground. The addition of sackmaster Malik Carney<\/a> from Saskatchewan should aid the defence. But the Elks need to pull it all together and win before the back-to-school sales start this summer.<\/p>\n SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS | CAN SASKATCHEWAN AVOID THE CUSTOMARY GREY CUP HANGOVER?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s face it. A Grey Cup championship is a big deal for any team. But in football-mad Saskatchewan, a Grey Cup title means endless free drinks, autograph signings and public adulation \u2014 along with an unspoken (or spoken) demand to do it all over again.<\/p>\n It\u2019s up to reigning CFL Coach of the Year Corey Mace to steer his club away from the possible letdown and train their focus on the task at hand. Most of the big names are back on offence for a shot at another title, including quarterback Trevor Harris<\/a>, running back AJ Ouellette and tackle Jermarcus Hardrick. On defence, the picture is fuzzier due to the departures of key cogs such as Malik Carney<\/a>, Habakkuk Baldonado<\/a> and A.J. Allen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS | CAN WINNIPEG DEFY FATHER TIME?<\/p>\n Head coach Mike O\u2019Shea openly balks at anyone who suggests the Blue Bombers field too many players beyond their best-before dates, including quarterback Zach Collaros<\/a> (37), left tackle Stanley Bryant<\/a> (40) and defensive end Willie Jefferson<\/a> (35).<\/p>\n The Bombers made five straight Grey Cup appearances for a reason before failing to advance in 2025, and O\u2019Shea believes their championship window is still open. General manager Kyle Walters was aggressive in free agency, with his biggest splash coming with the signing of offensive tackle Jarell Broxton<\/a> from BC to help protect Collaros and open holes for running back Brady Oliveira. Speedy receiver Tim White<\/a> is another key addition, moving over from Hamilton.<\/p>\n HAMILTON TIGER-CATS: CAN HAMILTON FINALLY TURN PROMISE INTO PAYOFF?<\/p>\n The Tiger-Cats finished the 2025 season in heartbreaking fashion on a walk-off field goal by Montreal with no time left on the clock in the Eastern Final.<\/p>\n The Tiger-Cats last hoisted the Grey Cup in 1999, and there\u2019s every reason to believe this could be the year for the long-suffering Steeltown faithful \u2014 they\u2019ve heard this refrain many times before.<\/p>\n Bo Levi Mitchell<\/a> is back at quarterback. Standout receiver Kenny Lawler<\/a> signed a contract extension through 2028. Linebacker Wynton McManis<\/a>, a three-time Grey Cup champion, left the archrival Toronto Argonauts to join defensive end Julian Howsare<\/a> and co. in Hamilton. Optimism abounds in Hamilton, but they need to close the deal.<\/p>\n MONTREAL ALOUETTES: IS DAVIS ALEXANDER TRULY HEALTHY?<\/p>\n No one can doubt Davis Alexander<\/a>\u2019s ability to play through pain. After all, he very nearly willed the Alouettes to the Grey Cup while playing with a gnarly hamstring last season.<\/p>\n Alexander, 27, declared himself 100 per cent healthy on the first day of training camp, but he only lasted 15 minutes in the first preseason game before leaving for precautionary reasons with an apparent injury to his right knee.<\/p>\n Alexander brings a swagger and a confidence to the point the Alouettes clearly believe they can win any game with him on the field. Without him, it\u2019s up to backup Dustin Crum<\/a> to get the ball into the hands of his receivers and hold the line.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n OTTAWA REDBLACKS | CAN RYAN DINWIDDIE TURN THE TIDE?<\/p>\n It\u2019s officially the Ryan Dinwiddie show in Ottawa this year after the CFL\u2019s Coach of the Year in 2023 left the familiar confines of Toronto to become head coach and general manager in the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n Dinwiddie wasted no time in retooling his roster by luring explosive running back Greg Bell<\/a> from Hamilton, along with linebacker A.J. Allen<\/a> and defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado<\/a> from Saskatchewan. Receiver Eugene Lewis is a standout and it will be Jake Maier<\/a> at quarterback for Dinwiddie\u2019s new-look lineup.<\/a><\/p>\n TORONTO ARGONAUTS | CAN THE ARGOS SILENCE THE NAYSAYERS?<\/p>\n If adversity builds championship teams, the Argos might very well be hoisting the Grey Cup come Nov. 15 in Calgary. During the CFL\u2019s content capture in April, players anonymously ranked the strongest teams<\/a> \u2013 not including their own \u2013 heading into the 2026 season. The Argos ranked ninth. With a new head coach in Mike Miller<\/a> at the helm, the Argos don\u2019t play their first regular season home game until Week 10 due to the World Cup in Toronto.<\/p>\n Chad Kelly \u2014 no stranger himself to challenging circumstances \u2014 is back as the starting quarterback for the Argos after missing all of last year recovering from a nasty leg injury he suffered during the 2024 Eastern Final. Kelly was the CFL\u2019s Most Outstanding Player in 2023, so a return to form could mean big things for a team that some have counted out before the opening snap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The beauty of every CFL training camp rests in the unblemished hope that abounds in every huddle and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":701710,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-701709","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\/701709","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=701709"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701709\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/701710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Season-Predictor-1270x415-1.jpg\")
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