A football team is not limited to quarterback identity, but attacking point inevitably remains a crucial element in assessing the forces present in a league. With the 2023 CFL campaign kicking off Thursday night with a clash between the BC Lions and the Calgary Stampeders, it’s been a merry-go-round marking the offseason at that vital spot.
If the Alouettes in the east are now banking on Cody Fajardo, perhaps the most intriguing acquisition was the Hamilton Tiger-Cats when they landed the rights to quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell last November.
Martin Chevalier / JdeM
Cody Fajardo, quarterback for the Alouettes.
That swap resulted in a three-year deal with Hamilton for the 33-year-old veteran quarterback in January. In Mitchell’s case, of course, his health remains key, but the former Stampeders have two Gray Cup championships, which they won in Calgary in 2014 and 2018.
He was also named CFL MVP twice (2016 and 2018). The Tiger-Cats can eye the East Division title without embarrassment. The fight between them, the Alouettes and the Argonauts, could get hot.
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Toronto will be watching quarterback Chad Kelly as McLeod Bethel-Thompson oddly left the Argonauts to join the New Orleans Breakers in the USFL after leading the team to the Gray Cup in 2022.
At the Ottawa Redblacks, we know that the regularly injured Jeremiah Masoli isn’t as dominant as he was when he played in Hamilton, but his talent remains undeniable. However, it is Nick Arbuckle who will start the season against the Alouettes at the Percival Molson Stadium on Saturday as Masoli is not at 100%.
Lions on course for success
The situation in the West is also interesting. The Lions are enjoying a wind of change, much like the Alouettes across Canada, with the arrival of owner Amar Doman since August 2021.
The founder of Futura Corporation, an asset management firm, provides training with the tools to achieve his ambitions. For quarterbacks, the situation is less obvious right now, with Canadian Nathan Rourke trying his luck in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It remains to be seen whether former Alouettes Vernon Adams Jr. will make the cut.
In Edmonton, another former member of the Montreal club changes the picture, but this time not at the quarterback position. Receiver Eugene Lewis is the star of the Elks now, but we’ve yet to figure out how to distribute the ball to him. Taylor Cornelius says he’s pleased to have Lewis as a target.
Another question: will the offensive line do its job in Edmonton? A club may have the best receiver in the league, but the oval object has to get into their hands. To be successful, the Elks need to win at home too, having lost all nine home games in 2022.
To explain Bo Levi Mitchell’s departure, it’s worth noting that the Stampeders are now in love with Jake Maier, a 26-year-old Californian. This one has the potential to dominate in the CFL.
Photo courtesy of CFL/Stampeders.com
Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier.
The Blue Bombers in the car
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 2019 and 2021 Gray Cup champions before they were finalists last year, ride with Zach Collaros. The 34-year-old quarterback has been the Ambrosie Circuit’s MVP for two years, and with good reason.
Will the aging bomber core slow down? Perhaps. But the Winnipeg club, who posted a record 15-3 last year, should probably make it to the playoffs, thanks in part to an excellent defense.
After losing 6-12 last season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are hoping for a better performance. Trevor Harris used to be with the Alouettes and was a regular quarterback for the Roughriders. His stats should compare comfortably to Fajardo’s in Montreal.
Ranking for the 2022 season
east division
Toronto Argonauts (11-7)
Montreal Alouettes (9-9)
Hamilton Tiger Cats (8-10)
Ottawa Redblacks (4-14)
Division West
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (15-3)
BC Lions (12-6)
Calgary Stampeders (12-6)
Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-12)
Edmonton Elks (4-14)