Samwise CFL Newsletter
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Hamilton Tiger-Cats Lock Up Kenny Lawler Through 2028 in $1 Million Extension
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have signed receiver Kenny Lawler to a three-year contract extension through 2028 worth $1 million, the team announced Tuesday. The 31-year-old led the CFL with 14 receiving touchdowns in 2025 and ranked second with 1,443 receiving yards on 86 receptions. In 81 career regular-season games, Lawler has 342 receptions for 5,551 yards and 39 touchdowns. He earned All-CFL honours in 2021 and 2025 and won two Grey Cups with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. “We’re thrilled to sign a long-term extension for one of the great playmakers in CFL history,” said president of football operations Orlondo Steinauer. Hamilton opens the regular season June 4 against Montreal.
Sources: 3DownNation
Ottawa Redblacks Quarterback Battle Remains Open with Week 1 Approaching
Ottawa Redblacks head coach and GM Ryan Dinwiddie said Tuesday the starting quarterback position remains open for competition, stopping short of naming incumbent Dru Brown the starter for the June 6 season opener. Brown restructured his contract after completing 71.5 percent of his passes for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 2025, going 2–7 as a starter. Free-agent addition Jake Maier impressed in last week’s preseason win over Montreal, completing 10 of 14 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Bryson Barnes went 8-for-8 for 109 yards. “I wouldn’t say it’s anybody’s to lose,” Dinwiddie told TSN 1200. “Someone’s gotta take the job.”
Sources: 3DownNation
Justin Rankin Sets Sights on Unprecedented CFL Double-1,000 Season
Edmonton Elks running back Justin Rankin is targeting an unprecedented double-1,000-yard season in 2026, aiming to become the first player in CFL history to rush and receive for 1,000 yards each in the same campaign. The 28-year-old recorded his first 1,000-yard rushing season in 2025 but fell short of the receiving milestone by 200 to 300 yards. The closest any CFL player has come is Andrew Harris, who posted 1,035 rushing yards and 857 receiving yards with Winnipeg in 2017. Rankin cited Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo as a key ally in the receiving game. “We gotta get that thousand-thousand,” he told 3DownNation. Edmonton opens the regular season June 6.
Sources: 3DownNation
Sean McEwen Eyes Ottawa Redblacks Debut After Torn ACL Ended His 2025 Season
Ottawa Redblacks centre Sean McEwen is targeting a return for the club’s season opener on June 6 after suffering a torn ACL in Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp in 2025. The former first-round CFL draft pick, 32, missed the entire season and said uncertainty about whether he would receive another contract made the rehabilitation particularly difficult. “There was a lot of career uncertainty for me,” McEwen told media Monday. “That was the hardest part.” Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie called a Week 1 return “a little bit of a stretch” but left the door open, adding that second-round 2025 Draft pick Sam Carson has impressed at centre during training camp.
Sources: 3DownNation
Winnipeg Blue Bombers Release Quarterback Terry Wilson After Voluntary Departure
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers released veteran quarterback Terry Wilson from their suspended list Tuesday, confirmed by the team. The 28-year-old departed voluntarily earlier this month and was placed on the suspended list as a result. Wilson is now free to sign with any CFL club. He joined Winnipeg in 2024 and appeared in 36 regular-season games in a depth role, completing 12 of 22 passes for 83 yards and one interception. Head coach Mike O’Shea confirmed the two had met before Wilson left. “He just felt it was time for him to go,” O’Shea said. Winnipeg plays its second preseason game Friday against B.C.
Sources: 3DownNation
Montreal Alouettes Re-Sign Defensive Back Robert Kennedy III Through 2027
The Montreal Alouettes have signed American defensive back Robert Kennedy III to a contract extension through 2027, the team announced Tuesday. The 26-year-old made five regular-season starts at field-side halfback for the Alouettes in 2025, recording 30 defensive tackles and one special teams tackle. He returned to the starting lineup late in the season and featured in both the East Final and the Grey Cup, which Montreal lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Kennedy attended training camp with the Los Angeles Chargers after going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Lackawanna College, East Carolina University, Old Dominion University, and North Carolina State University.
Sources: 3DownNation
Grey Cup Champions Saskatchewan Roughriders Sign Regina-Product Connor Klassen
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed Canadian offensive lineman Connor Klassen, the team announced Tuesday. The native of Big River, Sask. was a fourth-round pick of the B.C. Lions in the 2025 CFL Draft. The six-foot-four, 310-pound blocker was released during last year’s training camp due to an injury and was cut again by B.C. earlier this month before landing in Regina. He played at the University of Regina, where he started 19 games at right tackle. Klassen also played for the Regina Thunder of the Canadian Junior Football League. In a corresponding move, the Roughriders released American defensive lineman Marcus Haynes. Saskatchewan opens its regular season June 13 against B.C.
Sources: 3DownNation
Eastern Division
Season opens June 4
1. Montreal Alouettes — 0 pts (0-0-0)
2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats — 0 pts (0-0-0)
3. Toronto Argonauts — 0 pts (0-0-0)
4. Ottawa Redblacks — 0 pts (0-0-0)
Western Division
Season opens June 4
1. Saskatchewan Roughriders — 0 pts (0-0-0)
2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers — 0 pts (0-0-0)
3. Calgary Stampeders — 0 pts (0-0-0)
4. Edmonton Elks — 0 pts (0-0-0)
5. B.C. Lions — 0 pts (0-0-0)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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