Photo: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography / 3DownNation. All rights reserved.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will start Jake Dolegala at quarterback this week after Bo Levi Mitchell underwent ankle surgery, Scott Radley of the Hamilton Spectator reported on Wednesday.
Dolegala shared reps with Tre Ford last week after Mitchell was carted off the field early in the third quarter. He went zero-for-two on his passing attempts and took one sack.
The 29-year-old dressed for 13 regular-season games with the Tiger-Cats in 2025 in a depth role behind Mitchell and Taylor Powell, who left for the Edmonton Elks in free agency. He didn’t attempt any passes but was active at times in short-yardage, rushing 22 times for 50 yards and one touchdown.
The native of Hamburg, N.Y. first broke into the CFL in 2022 as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He spent two seasons with the team, completing 63.0 percent of his passes for 2,795 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Dolegala made 10 starts, posting a 2-8 record.
The six-foot-seven, 242-pound passer spent the first part of the 2024 season with the B.C. Lions, throwing for 158 yards and losing his only start. He was released in August after Nathan Rourke returned to B.C. following a stint in the NFL and signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he dressed for five regular-season games in a depth role.
Ford was the first backup quarterback who entered the game for Hamilton after Mitchell went down on Sunday. The native of Niagara Falls, Ont. completed three-of-seven pass attempts for 12 yards and one interception. He was also limited along the ground, rushing once for one yard.
Dolegala was a collegiate standout at Central Connecticut and spent the entire 2019 season with the Cincinnati Bengals, though he didn’t dress for any regular-season games. He had subsequent NFL stints with the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Miami Dolphins.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-2) will visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-1) on Sunday, July 12 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Tiger-Cats are coming off a 14-13 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during which Bo Levi Mitchell was carted off in an ambulance, while the Roughriders beat the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 27-22.
The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 27 degrees and sun. 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 the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton and 620 CKRM in Regina.
