Samwise CFL Newsletter
Monday, May 18, 2026
Sherman Lewis, Former Toronto Argonaut and Four-Time Super Bowl Champion Coach, Dies at 83
Sherman Lewis, who played for the Toronto Argonauts in 1964 and 1965 before going on to win four Super Bowls as an NFL assistant coach, died Friday at age 83. Lewis was an All-American halfback at Michigan State who finished third in 1963 Heisman Trophy voting. He played two seasons in Toronto before building a 34-year coaching career. Lewis served as offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, collecting three Super Bowl rings, and earned a fourth with the Green Bay Packers following the 1996 season. He is remembered as one of football’s most respected offensive minds, bridging the CFL and NFL with distinction.
Sources: 3DownNation
Matthew Shiltz Signs One-Day Contract to Retire as a Hamilton Tiger-Cat
Veteran quarterback Matthew Shiltz has officially retired from professional football after signing a one-day contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, closing out his career with the team where he spent two seasons from 2022 to 2023. The 33-year-old played 106 career games across eight CFL seasons with the Montreal Alouettes, Tiger-Cats, Calgary Stampeders, and Ottawa Redblacks, completing 64.1 per cent of his passes for 5,078 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. He started 14 games over his career, including six with Hamilton. Shiltz was drafted by Montreal in 2017 and carved out a decade-long career as a dependable backup in the Canadian Football League.
Sources: 3DownNation, TSN
Jack Coan Named Starter for Saskatchewan in Preseason Opener Against Calgary
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have named backup quarterback Jack Coan the starter for Monday’s preseason opener against the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. EDT. Coan holds a leg up over competitors Tommy Stevens and Brayden Schager for the backup role behind starter Trevor Harris, who will not dress. Notable veterans sitting out include receivers Kian Schaffer-Baker, Samuel Emilus, and KeeSean Johnson, along with running back A.J. Ouellette and linebacker Jameer Thurman. The game will be streamed for free on CFL+ and is not available on TSN. Weather calls for mainly sunny skies with a high of 14 degrees.
Sources: 3DownNation
Stampeders Debut Devodric Bynum as Grey Cup Host City Ambitions Take Shape at Training Camp
The Calgary Stampeders are set to debut offseason free agent signing Devodric Bynum in their preseason opener against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Monday at McMahon Stadium. The Stampeders, who host the 113th Grey Cup on November 15, enter 2026 with significant personnel questions after losing defenders Jaylon Hutchings and Jacob Roberts and receiver Damien Alford to the NFL. Head coach Dave Dickenson has signed quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. through 2028, while receiver Dejon Brissett joins from two Grey Cup wins with Toronto. Running back Dedrick Mills, the CFL’s leading rusher in 2025 with 1,409 yards, reported to camp healthy at 225 pounds.
Sources: 3DownNation, TSN
CFL Training Camp Cutdown Structure Forces Teams to Decide Too Early, Critics Say
A structural problem in CFL training camp is forcing teams to make critical roster decisions before players have had a meaningful chance to prove themselves, according to an analysis published Saturday. Under the 2026 schedule, rosters were cut from 100 to 85 players by May 9, then to 75 by May 12 — with full-contact padded practices not permitted until May 12. Hamilton Tiger-Cats head coach Scott Milanovich called the sequence troubling, noting players got only two days of practice before evaluation. The compressed timeline disproportionately affects fringe players and late-developing prospects, potentially costing teams the right roster choice before the regular season begins June 4.
Sources: 3DownNation
Saskatchewan Roughriders Bring Back Receiver Sundiata Anderson After Rookie Camp Release
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have re-signed receiver Sundiata Anderson to their training camp roster after releasing him following rookie camp earlier this month. Anderson was among the eight players cut when Saskatchewan trimmed its roster from 100 to 85 counters on May 9. His return signals the defending Grey Cup champions are still monitoring his development as training camp competition continues. The Roughriders, who went wire-to-wire as the CFL’s best team in 2025, have retained the core of their championship roster including quarterback and Grey Cup MVP Trevor Harris. Saskatchewan hosts its lone preseason game in Saskatoon later this month against the Ottawa Redblacks on May 22.
Sources: 3DownNation
Montreal Alouettes Move French-Language Radio Broadcasts to Quebecor-Affiliated 99.5 Montreal
The Montreal Alouettes announced Friday that 99.5 Montreal will become the club’s new official French-language radio broadcaster, beginning with the preseason opener against the Ottawa Redblacks on May 22. The Quebecor-affiliated station will carry every Alouettes game through the 2026 season, replacing the previous broadcast partner. The move expands Quebecor’s growing sports media footprint in Montreal. The Alouettes, who open the regular season June 4 at Hamilton, are the defending East Division finalists and face a challenging schedule in the first half of the season. Quarterback Davis Alexander enters 2026 fully healthy after a hamstring injury limited him to seven starts in 2025.
Sources: 3DownNation
TSN to Broadcast Two CFL Preseason Games; Remaining Three on Free CFL+ Stream
TSN will broadcast two of the 2026 CFL preseason games on television, with the remainder available to stream for free on CFL+, the league announced Wednesday. The Toronto Argonauts hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, May 23, and the Montreal Alouettes visiting the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, May 29, will be the two televised matchups. Monday’s preseason opener between Saskatchewan and Calgary at McMahon Stadium is CFL+-only. A total of five preseason games are scheduled before the regular season kicks off June 4 with Montreal visiting Hamilton at Tim Hortons Field. Preseason rosters must be cut to 46 players plus a practice roster by May 30.
Sources: 3DownNation
Eastern Division
Preseason — Regular Season Begins June 4
Montreal Alouettes
Toronto Argonauts
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Ottawa Redblacks
Western Division
Preseason — Regular Season Begins June 4
Saskatchewan Roughriders (Grey Cup Champions)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Calgary Stampeders
Edmonton Elks
BC Lions
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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