Reggie Begelton ‘not that close’ to return, injury ‘more severe’ than Calgary Stampeders anticipated

Photo courtesy: Maggie Stemp-Turner/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Calgary Stampeders do not anticipate star receiver Reggie Begelton making his 2026 debut anytime soon.

“He’s on six-game (injured list), so we’re not that close,” head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson told 770 CHQR this week. “I wouldn’t put guys on six-game if I thought they were week-to-week. We need to see him practice. He still hasn’t practiced all camp, but I believe that he’s giving it everything he’s got. He’s working as hard as he can.”

Begelton was carted off the field during a Week 2 win over Toronto in 2025 after suffering what was later reported to be a fractured leg. The three-time All-CFL selection had been one of Calgary’s most effective offensive weapons prior to the injury, making 427 catches for 5,660 yards and 28 touchdowns in 88 career games.

The Stampeders publicly played coy with the receiver’s status throughout training camp, with Dickenson stating at one point that he’d like to see him return by Week 1. That was never going to be possible, and the 32-year-old quietly renegotiated his contract at the end of May, accepting a significant pay cut to $97,000 in hard money with an additional $27,000 available in playtime and performance incentives. He was previously expected to earn $191,000 in 2026, making him the CFL’s 13th-highest-paid receiver.

“That injury was obviously more severe than we had thought, and it’s taken longer than we hoped it would,” Dickenson acknowledged. “Reggie’s one of our best, and it’d be great to have him out there.”

While Begelton may not be available until after Labour Day, Calgary could have another key veteran back in the lineup much sooner. Defensive end Folarin Orimolade, who is making his way back from a torn Achilles, has been a full participant in practice this week and will be eligible to play on Saturday against the B.C. Lions if the team deems it to be in the best interest of all parties.

“Flo is trending positively, but he’s been doing that for a couple of weeks,” Dickenson said. “As soon as I get the go-ahead from our training staff, as well as Flo feels like he can do what (Jaylon Hutchings) did, at least play half the game or more, he’ll be out there. Hopeful for this week, but no guarantees.”

The Stampeders already received a boost last week with the addition of Hutchings, who returned early from his NFL opportunity this offseason due to a hamstring injury. They are now closely monitoring another similar situation, as former first-overall CFL Draft pick Damien Alford was recently waived by the New Orleans Saints with an injury designation.

Dickenson confirmed that the team has been in contact with Alford, though a reunion isn’t imminent.

“All we have to do now is just let the procedure work its way out and see what happens. We do own his rights, and we would be excited to have him back,” he said. “Definitely trying not to pressure him to make any decision that he doesn’t want to make at this time, but we’d be excited to have him back, and we know he’d make us a better team.”

The Calgary Stampeders (0-2) will visit the B.C. Lions (0-2) at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, B.C. on Saturday, June 27, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Stampeders are coming off an overtime loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, while the Lions got crushed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The weather forecast in Kelowna calls for a high of 20 degrees with a 60 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 770 CHQR in Calgary or 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in B.C.

J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league’s Global initiative.