Samwise CFL Newsletter
Friday, June 26, 2026
Last-minute Fajardo touchdown pass lifts Edmonton Elks past Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-18
Cody Fajardo hit receiver TJ Luther with a touchdown pass with 53 seconds remaining Thursday night to lift the Edmonton Elks past the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-18 at Princess Auto Stadium, moving the Elks to 3-0 for the first time since 2017. Fajardo completed 25 of 35 passes for 267 yards. Kevin Rankin rushed 15 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. Zach Collaros threw for 290 yards and two scores on 24-of-33 passing for Winnipeg, which fumbled six times and fell to 1-2. A sellout crowd of 32,343 witnessed Edmonton win in Winnipeg for the first time since 2018.
Sources: TSN Global News Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Torn Achilles ends Toronto Argonauts safety Robert Priester’s 2026 season
Veteran Toronto Argonauts safety Robert Priester, 32, has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during the team’s Week 3 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. Priester made the announcement via social media. The defensive back had played 47 career CFL games before the injury, which occurred during a victory that improved Toronto to 1-1 on the season. With Priester sidelined, the Argonauts have activated Anthony Wilson from the practice roster to fill the vacancy at safety heading into Friday night’s game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Anthony Wilson earns first career CFL regular-season start at safety in Toronto’s trip to Saskatchewan
Anthony Wilson will make his first career CFL regular-season start at safety when the Toronto Argonauts (1-1) visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday night. The 24-year-old signed with Toronto this offseason and had been on the practice roster before being elevated to the active roster. Wilson steps in to replace Robert Priester, who has been ruled out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. The Argonauts also activated Tristan Ready and Alex Teubner for the game in Regina, while Ethan John was placed on the one-game injured list and DeMarcus Johnson was moved to the reserve roster.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Ottawa coach Dinwiddie says Dru Brown became ‘a little bit of a distraction’ before trade to Winnipeg
Ottawa Redblacks head coach Ryan Dinwiddie acknowledged this week that quarterback Dru Brown had become “a little bit of a distraction” for the club in the lead-up to his trade to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, completed earlier this week. Brown had been benched in favour of Jake Maier as Ottawa’s starting quarterback for 2026 before the Redblacks opted to move on from him. Dinwiddie addressed the trade during a media availability Thursday. Ottawa sits at 0-2 on the season, while Winnipeg, which added Brown to its quarterback depth, fell to 1-2 on Thursday after losing 23-18 to the Edmonton Elks.
Sources: 3DownNation TSN Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Montreal Alouettes bring back former NFL defender Faion Hicks
The Montreal Alouettes have brought back defensive back Faion Hicks, the club announced Wednesday. Hicks, 28, attended training camp with Montreal in Quebec City this summer but was released before the regular season opened. The five-foot-ten, 192-pound defender was a seventh-round pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2022 NFL Draft. He appeared in two regular-season games with Denver and later had stints with the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, and Seattle Seahawks without regular-season action. Hicks also signed with the Birmingham Stallions in 2025 and played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
B.C. Lions defensive coordinator Benevides calls unit’s performances ‘inexcusable,’ takes personal responsibility
B.C. Lions defensive coordinator Mike Benevides took full responsibility for the team’s defensive struggles this week, calling performances in the first two games “inexcusable.” “At the end of the day, the performance relies on me,” Benevides said. “It’s my responsibility to make sure we perform, and we haven’t. That’s me, not the players.” The Lions, considered preseason Grey Cup favourites, entered the week at 0-2. Opponents have completed a league-worst 83.3 percent of passes against B.C. while the Lions’ defensive line has generated a league-low 12 pressures. Bo Levi Mitchell tied a career-high with five touchdown passes in B.C.’s most recent loss.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Stampeders receiver Reggie Begelton ‘not that close’ to return as injury proves more severe than expected
Calgary Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson said this week that receiver Reggie Begelton, who has been on the six-game injured list since suffering a fractured leg in the 2025 season, is “not that close” to making his 2026 debut. “That injury was obviously more severe than we had thought, and it’s taken longer than we hoped it would,” Dickenson said. Begelton, a three-time All-CFL selection, recorded 427 catches for 5,660 yards and 28 touchdowns in 88 career games. The 32-year-old has not practiced at any point during the 2026 training camp.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Saskatchewan Roughriders rule out A.J. Ouellette and Dhel Duncan-Busby against Toronto Argonauts
Saskatchewan Roughriders running back A.J. Ouellette, 30, has been ruled out against the Toronto Argonauts on Friday with an ankle injury suffered last week against the Calgary Stampeders. Ouellette did not practice all week and was placed on the reserve roster. He had rushed 33 times for 153 yards through two games of 2026. Rookie Quali Conley, activated from the practice roster for the first time, will take over as the lead back. Starting Canadian receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby is also out with a shoulder issue, with D’Sean Mimbs stepping into the starting lineup for the 2-0 Roughriders.
Sources: 3DownNation Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Eastern Conference
Eastern Division
1. Montreal Alouettes — 4 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
1. Edmonton Elks — 6 pts (3-0-0)
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders — 4 pts (2-0-0)
3. Winnipeg Blue Bombers — 2 pts (1-2-0)
4. Calgary Stampeders — 0 pts (0-2-0)
5. B.C. Lions — 0 pts (0-2-0)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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