The Edmonton Elks have signed American defensive lineman Brandon Barlow to a one-year contract extension, tying him to the team through 2026.
The 27-year-old native of Cohoes, N.Y. recorded 35 defensive tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception over 18 regular-season games in 2025, starting each of them at defensive end.
The six-foot-four, 260-pound defender began his CFL career with the Toronto Argonauts, making 48 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, 10 sacks, and two forced fumbles over 24 regular-season games. He helped the team win the Grey Cup in 2022.
Barlow was a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2024 and made 40 defensive tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble over 18 regular-season games. The team released him in February prior to an offseason roster bonus, at which point the Elks came calling.
The Boston College product recorded 128 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery over 47 collegiate games.
The Edmonton Elks finished fifth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 7-11 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Cody Fajardo started the team’s final 13 regular-season games and went 6-7, throwing for 3,408 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Tre Ford started the first five, going 1-4, and threw for 984 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Elks ranked ninth in net offence, ninth in net defence, and fifth with a turnover differential of plus-four. The club’s leading rusher was Justin Rankin with 1,013 yards, leading receiver was Kaion Julien-Grant with 820 yards, and leading tackler was Joel Dublanko with 80 tackles. Edmonton finished seventh in attendance with average crowds of 19,050, which was a 7.1 percent decrease from the previous year.
