Photo: Montreal Alouettes
The Ottawa Redblacks have listed Jake Maier as their starting quarterback for Friday’s preseason finale against the Montreal Alouettes.
The announcement was made two days after head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie indicated the starting job wasn’t Dru Brown’s to lose and he was looking for someone to win the job.
Maier shone in last week’s preseason win over the Montreal Alouettes, completing 10-of-14 pass attempts for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
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 previously spent four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, throwing for 11,685 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions.
Brown, the team’s incumbent starter, restructured his contract with Ottawa after an injury-plagued season in 2025. The native of Palo Alto, Calif. completed 71.5 percent of his passes for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, ranking eighth league-wide in passer rating and going 2-7 as a starter. He did not play in last week’s preseason game.
Ottawa’s depth chart for Friday night’s preseason game can be found below.
Ottawa Redblacks
The Ottawa Redblacks opened training camp on May 10. The team won 27-12 in its first preseason game against the Montreal Alouettes. Ottawa will finish the preseason against Montreal on Friday, May 29. Final roster cuts are due on Saturday, May 30, after which the team will play its first regular-season game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, June 6.
Ottawa recently selected Purdue offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro with their first-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft and it appears he could be a day-one starter. The team’s other major offseason additions include quarterback Jake Maier, running back Greg Bell, linebacker A.J. Allen, and strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis.
In 2025, the Redblacks finished fourth in the East Division standings with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Ryan Dinwiddie was hired as the team’s head coach and general manager after the firing of Bob Dyce.
