Samwise CFL Newsletter
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Ottawa Sends Quarterback Brown to Winnipeg for 2027 First-Round Pick
The Ottawa Redblacks traded quarterback Dru Brown to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, ending a standoff that head coach Ryan Dinwiddie acknowledged had become “a little bit of a distraction.” Ottawa receives a first-round pick in the 2027 CFL Draft and a conditional second-round selection in 2028. Brown, who went 12-13-1 as Ottawa’s starter, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for 6,348 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions, had requested his release and then a trade after being demoted behind Jake Maier. He returns to Winnipeg, where he backed up Zach Collaros from 2021 to 2023.
Sources: TSN 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Ottawa Redblacks Sign Veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson After Brown Departure
Hours after trading Dru Brown to Winnipeg, the Ottawa Redblacks moved to stabilize their quarterback room by signing veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson. The free agent, who has not seen active duty since serving as a backup with the Montreal Alouettes last season, joins as the backup behind starter Jake Maier. Bethel-Thompson’s arrival gives the Redblacks a proven league veteran as Ottawa prepares for a Week 4 road game at Montreal. The Redblacks opened 2026 with two losses before dealing Brown, and the front office moved quickly to avoid leaving the depth chart thin behind Maier with upcoming divisional games on the horizon.
Sources: TSN 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Calgary Re-Signs All-CFL Defensive Tackle Jaylon Hutchings to Three-Year Deal
The Calgary Stampeders re-signed defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings to a three-year contract that includes a $50,000 signing bonus. The 26-year-old was waived by the Minnesota Vikings in April with a non-football injury after signing an NFL futures contract in the off-season. Hutchings was named All-CFL and was the top-graded defensive player in the league by Pro Football Focus in 2025, recording 39 defensive tackles, eight sacks, and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season games. The six-foot, 304-pound pass rusher ranks third in compensation at his position for 2026, behind Winnipeg’s Jake Ceresna and Montreal’s Mustafa Johnson.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Argonauts Defensive Back Robert Priester Confirms Season-Ending Torn Achilles
Toronto Argonauts defensive back Robert Priester announced on Instagram that he has suffered a torn Achilles, ending his 2026 CFL season. The 32-year-old started Toronto’s first two regular-season games at safety, recording one defensive tackle, before sustaining the injury during the club’s Week 3 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks. Priester had returned to Toronto for 2026 after previously spending three seasons with the franchise, appearing in 26 games and earning Grey Cup championship rings in 2022 and 2024. Defensive back DeWayne Hendrix and Ethan John are also ruled out for Week 4, further thinning the Argonauts secondary.
Sources: 3DownNation TSN Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Elks Lose 2024 Outstanding Rookie Anderson to Six-Game Injured List Ahead of Winnipeg Game
The Edmonton Elks have placed middle linebacker Nick Anderson on the six-game injured list with a hamstring injury, a notable blow ahead of Thursday night’s road game at Winnipeg. Anderson was named All-CFL and the league’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2024 but did not practice this week. Brock Mogensen will start at middle linebacker in his absence. Anderson’s loss is a personnel challenge for an Elks team that opened 2026 with two straight wins, including a road overtime victory over the Montreal Alouettes. Edmonton enters Thursday’s game at a 2-0 record, seeking a third straight victory to start the season without one of its key defensive starters.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Blue Bombers Activate Jaylen Smith for Thursday Night Home Opener Against Elks
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have activated receiver Jaylen Smith from the one-game injured list ahead of Thursday’s Week 4 home game against Edmonton. Smith sat out Week 2 due to injury but returns for Winnipeg’s home opener at Princess Auto Stadium. The Bombers continue to carry several players on the six-game injured list, including receiver Kevens Clercius, defensive linemen De’Shaan Dixon and Tanner Schmekel, linebackers Lane Novak, Jovan Santos-Knox, and Jaiden Woodbey, and defensive backs Cam Allen and Ethan Ball. Smith’s return adds a receiving option for a 1-1 Winnipeg squad also welcoming Canadian linebacker Brody Clark back to health in the coming weeks.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Montreal Alouettes Bring Back Defensive Back Faion Hicks After Pre-Season Release
The Montreal Alouettes have re-signed American defensive back Faion Hicks, the team announced Wednesday. The 28-year-old attended training camp with the club in Quebec City but was released before the regular season began. Hicks, a five-foot-ten, 192-pound native of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was a seventh-round pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has since been a member of the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, and Seattle Seahawks without recording regular-season action with any of those clubs. Montreal first signed Hicks in December 2025 before releasing him during the pre-season; his return adds secondary depth to the 2-1 Alouettes.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Mitchell's Eight-TD Stretch and Alexander's Precision Drive Latest CFL Quarterback Rankings
CFL.ca’s latest weekly quarterback rankings show significant reshuffling at the top through three weeks of the 2026 season. Davis Alexander, who delivered a precise 34-yard strike to Tyler Snead and capped a Week 2 win over Toronto with a game-ending 56-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Philpot, ranks among the league’s elite. Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell has been nearly flawless, throwing eight touchdowns against just eight incompletions over the last two weeks. B.C. Lions pivot Nathan Rourke has slipped from the top three, though the rankings authors credit wide receiver injuries on the Lions rather than Rourke’s own performance for his drop.
Eastern Conference
Eastern Division — Through Week 3
1. Montreal Alouettes — 5 pts (2-1-0)
2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats — 4 pts (2-1-0)
3. Toronto Argonauts — 2 pts (1-1-0)
4. Ottawa Redblacks — 0 pts (0-2-0)
Western Conference
Western Division — Through Week 3
1. Saskatchewan Roughriders — 4 pts (2-0-0)
2. Edmonton Elks — 4 pts (2-0-0)
3. Winnipeg Blue Bombers — 2 pts (1-1-0)
4. Calgary Stampeders — 1 pt (0-2-0)
5. BC Lions — 0 pts (0-2-0)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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