We’re into that really interesting stretch of every off-season.
Free agency is about a month old with much of the key names off the board, while the CFL Combine presented by Anytime Fitness and 2026 CFL Draft are approaching quickly. Before we know it, players will be reporting for training camp and the countdown to a new season will be underway.
As such, we have a pretty good idea of how things are shaping up for all nine teams going into the 2026 campaign. While there’s still room for a roster move here or there, things are generally set in that regard.
RELATED
» Way-too-Early AMSOIL Power Rankings: Who sits at the top?
» 3 bold predictions for the 2026 CFL season
» 3 free agent signings that could shape the 2026 season
» Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel
» Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates
» View the entire 2026 season schedule here
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Retaining the brain trust
The Bombers have been one of the league’s most aggressive teams in free agency after having their string of consecutive Grey Cup appearances snapped at five last season. But it was a decision made long before the opening of free agency that defines Winnipeg’s winter. While not necessarily in doubt, it was still significant news when the Blue Bombers extended head coach Mike O’Shea and general manager Kyle Walters in mid-November.
After all, we’re talking about one of the most impressive duos in recent CFL history. After being hired in November 2013, Walters made his first big decision by hiring O’Shea a few weeks later. Now entering their 12th season together, Walters and O’Shea have amassed a 117-77 record together, which is good for 0.603 winning percentage. Winnipeg’s mandate is clear: win more titles. And I can’t think of a duo better suited to make that happen than Walters and O’Shea.
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Trevor Harris’s return
This one isn’t a team decision. Instead, the biggest off-season decision for the Riders was made by Trevor Harris, and it didn’t take long. With retirement briefly discussed, Harris opted to sign a one-year contract with Saskatchewan in early December, just a couple weeks after the team’s triumph in the 112th Grey Cup.
Turning 40 in late May, it’s clear Harris still has plenty left in the tank. In 17 appearances last season, Harris led the CFL with a 73.6 per cent completion rate while finishing top three with 4,549 passing yards and a 100.7 quarterback rating. The Roughriders had every reason to go all-in for a second straight Grey Cup title, and getting Harris back for another year was a key to making that a reality.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Extending Clarence Hicks
Clarence Hicks moves in and shuts it down!
📅: @calstampeders vs. Lions LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/t2c3oaR2ve— CFL (@CFL) October 4, 2025
Getting a player like Clarence Hicks under contract would have been a huge deal for Calgary under any circumstance. After all, Hicks burst onto the scene last season and established himself as one of the league’s most dominant edge rushers. After showing flashes in his first CFL season, Hicks exploded in 2025 and finished third overall with 12 sacks and was also ranked the league’s third most effective defensive end by our friends at Pro Football Focus.
But when you add in a few other factors, getting Hicks locked up becomes that much more significant. First off, it’s a three-year deal, which gives the Stamps security and cost certainty at a key defensive position. And retaining a player of Hicks’s calibre feels even more important when you consider the departures of defensive standouts Jaylon Hutchings and Jacob Roberts, who are both pursuing opportunities in the NFL.
EDMONTON ELKS
Being aggressive in free agency
Despite missing the playoffs for a fifth straight season, the Elks put a solid foundation in place in 2025 under new head coach Mark Kilam and new general manager Ed Hervey. As a result, Edmonton has taken a very aggressive approach to this off-season. I’m a big fan of what the Elks have done so far this winter, and they’ll be one of my top teams to watch this year.
Edmonton’s off-season began by signing quarterback Cody Fajardo to a one-year extension in early December and continued with key extensions for defensive linemen Brandon Barlow and Noah Taylor. But it’s their work in free agency that really jumps off the page, as the Elks have added key pieces like Malik Carney, Austin Mack, and Coulter Woodmansey. It feels like Edmonton is in the best spot they’ve been in ages to return to the post-season.
BC LIONS
An early Nathan Rourke extension
There’s something to be said for getting out in front of an organizational priority. And that’s exactly what the Lions did when they signed franchise quarterback Nathan Rourke to a two-year extension in January. Entering the final year of his current deal, Rourke’s extension keeps the reigning Most Outstanding Player in BC through the 2028 campaign.
More than anything, getting a Rourke extension in place early avoids any type of distraction that might surround his future. Signed more than a year before a possible deadline, the Lions know they have their most important piece in the fold for the long term. And after a slow-ish start to his MOP season last year, it feels like Rourke is situated to build on what he did in 2025.
