Ottawa Redblacks scratch Greg Bell against Edmonton Elks

Photo: Gord Weber/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Ottawa Redblacks will not dress Greg Bell for their season-opener against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday night. The team issued its official depth chart for the game on Friday morning.

The 27-year-old signed with the Redblacks in free agency after earning an All-East Division selection with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2025. He rushed 184 times for 1,038 yards, caught 62 passes for 426 yards, and scored six touchdowns over 15 regular-season games.

Bell is the second-highest-paid running back in the CFL but he’s been placed on Ottawa reserve roster. The designation, which is new for 2026, is meant for healthy scratches. He was a full participant in practice this week.

Elijah Collins will start at running back after spending last year on the Redblacks practice roster.

The 25-year-old native of Detroit, Mich. was a collegiate standout at Michigan State University, where he was named third-team All-Big Ten as a freshman. He finished his collegiate career at Oklahoma State University.

Dru Brown and Max Duggan are the two backup quarterbacks behind Jake Maier, who was recently announced as the team’s starter. Bryson Barnes, who impressed during the preseason, is on the reserve roster alongside Bell.

Giordano Vaccaro, the first overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, will start at right guard with veteran Zack Pelehos as his backup. Free-agent additions Sean McEwen and Martez Ivey will start at centre and right tackle, respectively.

Defensively, the team will start five new veterans in defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado, linebackers A.J. Allen and Nyles Morgan, strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis, and boundary cornerback Demerio Houston.

The Ottawa Redblacks (0-0) will host the Edmonton Elks (0-0) on Saturday, June 6 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Both teams missed the playoffs in 2025.

The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for a high of 26 degrees and a 40 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 880 CHED in Edmonton and TSN 1200 in Ottawa.

Ottawa Redblacks