CFL Beat: Week 1

We’ve finally arrived at Week 1 of the regular season! Buckle up with a few Molsons and a bag of all-dressed chips and make yourself comfy for the summer and fall of 2026, folks.

In league news this week:

• Final cuts dropped over the weekend, and there’s always a few prominent names that raise some eyebrows whenever these lists get released. A quick sample of guys who are likely to find a new home includes the following:
  • QB Jarret Doege, BC
  • RB Mario Anderson, Jr., SSK
  • RB Peyton Logan, TOR
  • OL Eric Lofton, EDM
  • OL Anthony Vandal, TOR
  • DL Kene Onkeya, HAM
  • DL Dylan Wynn, OTT
  • LB Aaron Casey, TOR
  • DB Dionte Ruffin, BC
  • DB Deandre Lamont, WPG
• Calgary re-signed All-CFL DL Jaylon Hutchings to a new three-year deal; he was signed in the off-season to an NFL deal with the Minnesota Vikings, but was released due to a springtime hamstring injury. Hutchings was named to the all-star team last year after starting 17 games where he recorded 39 tackles, eight sacks, and a forced fumble. No financial terms were announced in the deal, but that’s a great signing to help lock down their trench.

And with this info out of the way, onto the games!

WEEK 1 PREVIEWS

Montreal vs. Hamilton, Thursday, June 4th, 7:30 PM EDT (TSN, CBSSN, CFL+): The first game of the season is a rematch of last year’s East Final, a defensive battle which the Alouettes won, despite Davis Alexander being hampered by a hamstring injury at the time. With their QB1 healthy to start the year, it’ll be interesting to see just how things pan out to kick off 2026. Two things can be true at once: early-season football can be either a dull snooze due to offences lacking rhythm and timing of getting sufficient game reps in for their first-teamers; or, consequently, early- season football can also be a gunfight as defences don’t have sufficient familiarity with coverage schemes just yet. With the new rules getting gradually phased in, my gut is telling me defensive snoozer though my heart desperately wants a gunfight.

PICK: Montreal

Winnipeg vs. Calgary, Friday, June 5th, 9:00 PM EDT (TSN, CBSSN, CFL+): The Blue Bombers had a pretty miserable time on offence last year due to injuries, and with their core now looking very old indeed, this may be the final hurrah for a number of longtime veterans on this team, most notably QB Zach Collaros. A sure sign of aging: the pass game, long a vaunted part of the team’s offence, withered on the vine last year, particularly in the games where Collaros was out and the team was forced to start Chris Streveler under centre. Collaros needs some better O-line play for protection purposes, but to be fair, his reaction time similarly appears to be slowing down with age as well. The Bombers will need RB Brady Oliveira to be their workhorse again this season if a playoff run is in the cards once more. On the other side, the Stampeders had a strong year last year, surprising a number of pundits, including me; it’s now time to see if the changes they made, particularly on offence, are a true, reliable schematic change or more a case of flash-in-the-pan brilliance that may be short-lived. No doubt that Vernon Adams, Jr. was good under centre in his first year of wearing Calgary’s red and white; but the next step for the team will be to see if they can generate more pass TDs and do more than simply use the pass game to move the sticks.

PICK: Calgary

Edmonton vs. Ottawa, Saturday, June 6th, 7:00 PM EDT (TSN, CBSSN, CFL+): We’re into a new regime in Ottawa, with Ryan Dinwiddie taking over as both GM and HC of the REDBLACKS; with two Grey Cup wins in his time in Toronto, he brings in a legitimate championship pedigree and a chance to completely remake all of the culture of malaise that has permeated this team since 2019. Hometown fans have high hopes for the year ahead. Ottawa has a revamped defence and a new #1 RB in Greg Bell; in another surprising move, it appears that Jake Maier has won the QB1 job ahead of incumbent Dru Brown. Maier was middling in his time in Calgary, but did win a couple of games last year for Saskatchewan when Trevor Harris was sidelined short-term and looked good doing it. He’ll benefit from his new head coach, too; Ryan Dinwiddie’s pedigree is an offensive guru, and not only will he be the boss on and off the sidelines, he’s also going to continue with staying involved with the minutiae of gameplay and will continue to call the offensive plays as well. Edmonton heads into the year with Cody Fajardo taking over as QB1, after a protracted power struggle that ultimately saw Tre Ford not offered a contract renewal and his departure from the Elks. Fajardo’s veteran presence will hopefully help galvanize the whole team, though last year, offence was not really the team’s problem – it was the poor defensive play of early last season that got the team into a hole they weren’t ultimately able to dig themselves out of. A key to a playoff return will be more stable, consistent defensive play that is able to demonstrate stamina to make it through full, complete games and not run out of gas partway through.

PICK: Ottawa

BYE: Saskatchewan, Toronto, Winnipeg

WEEK 1 PICKS

Reminder that this is your last chance to join the Pick ‘Em Pool before the season begins… click the link below to sign up and join!

https://www.officepooljunkie.com/join.php?Pool=NFA9D4OXO6C2U0A1&Pass=57duHwincjTS

Enjoy the games, everyone. Without any further ado, let’s get to it!