Photo: Montreal Alouettes
There is no longer a debate regarding who will be the Ottawa Redblacks’ starting quarterback in 2026.
Head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie publicly delivered his verdict on Thursday, revealing that Jake Maier would replace Dru Brown under centre.
“Jake’s gonna be our starter moving forward,” Dinwiddie told the media. “I told Dru and Jake that about four days ago, and just wanted to get Jake going. We feel like he’s the starting quarterback, let’s not wait to announce it.”
Brown has been the Redblacks’ starter for the past two seasons, helping to lead the team back to the playoffs in 2024. However, he struggled with injuries in 2025 and went 2-7 as a starter, completing 71.5 percent of his passes for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Maier was brought in as a veteran insurance policy in CFL free agency, fuelling speculation that Brown could be on the hot seat. He shone in last week’s preseason win over the Montreal Alouettes, completing 10-of-14 pass attempts for 155 yards and two touchdowns. While Brown did not play in that game, it appears to have cemented Dinwiddie’s decision.
“A lot (goes into it). Getting through progressions, arm strength. I thought Jake was driving the football. He can deliver a few more concepts for us, a few more throws, and he’s got great leadership. He’s confident in the way he commands the huddle,” Dinwiddie explained.
“I think Jake’s had a good camp. Obviously, he solidified it a little bit last week. I thought he played well against Montreal’s one unit. I think he’s thrown the football well. He’s moving better than he has in the past. He did a great job this offseason, really by training his body. I feel like we need to get him some more reps with the ones, so that was our decision.”
Maier has previous experience as a CFL starter, having unseated Bo Levi Mitchell during his time with the Calgary Stampeders. He threw for 11,685 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions with that organization before falling out of favour.
The 29-year-old served as the backup to Trevor Harris in Saskatchewan in 2025, throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions to help the team win the Grey Cup. He stated that he was given no assurances that he would be named the starter when the Redblacks recruited him in free agency, and described his competition with Brown as a healthy one.
“It means a lot (to be named the starter). I’m super grateful for Dinwiddie’s) trust,” Maier said. “I think I’ve said this over the course of my career, when it comes to starting any football game for a team up here, it’s a great honour. You can’t take it lightly ever; you can’t take it for granted. I’m always super blessed to be the guy who takes the field on the first drive for any team I play for over the course of my career. Being where my feet are right now, it’s a special feeling, and I’m extremely grateful.”
When Dinwiddie was hired from the Toronto Argonauts in November, he indicated he was comfortable with Brown being the team’s starter in 2026. The two subsequently spent time together in the nation’s capital, getting to know one another and watching film. Dinwiddie seemed impressed with the veteran quarterback, saying he “picked things up rather quickly.”
The 45-year-old became more effusive with his praise as the offseason progressed, saying Brown is one of the best quarterbacks in the league when he’s well-protected in the pocket. However, the Redblacks restructured Brown’s contract, lowering his guaranteed money.
It remained unclear as to whether the quarterback job was an open competition until earlier this week, when Dinwiddie indicated that he wanted someone to win it. On Thursday, he insisted that the change had nothing to do with putting his stamp on his new team and revealed that Brown took the news of his demotion well.
“It’s tough. It’s never easy to make that decision, and it’s never easy to hear the decision,” he said. “I’ve been there before; it’s not a good feeling, because now you’re waiting for injury or a bad performance to get on the field. He took it pretty well. Obviously disappointed, just as anybody should be, and the competitor that he is, he’s handling it like a pro, and then Jake’s handling it like a pro too. They’re both working well together.”
For his part, Brown downplayed the impact of the benching on himself, choosing to focus on Maier’s opportunity.
“It could be different, but I’m happy for Jake. I know he’s been through a lot in this league, so I got a lot of respect for people that have kind of been dragged through the mud a little bit,” he said. “It’s hard to play this position up here. There’s a standard that not everyone gets held to, but quarterbacks do. That was my initial reaction, honestly, was that I was happy for Jake. Obviously, all the other emotions came, but at the end of the day, that’s RD’s decision. It doesn’t change my relationship with Jake. I really respect him.”
The Redblacks will wrap up the preseason on Friday at TD Place against the Montreal Alouettes, with Maier being given the start and Brown listed as the number two. The team will play its first regular-season game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, June 6.
