Quarterback Rankings: Who is the top pivot in the CFL?

Quarterback Rankings is a bi-weekly series that breaks down the top signal-callers in the CFL. The ranking of starters heading into each week reflects recent performance, statistical indicators, team success, and overall on-field evaluation.

We did it everyone, we made it through the off-season and the CFL rewarded our patience with an excellent start to 2026.

Davis Alexander outduelled Bo Levi Mitchell late for an Alouettes three-point overtime win. Zach Collaros and company ruined an incredible 104-yard touchdown drive by Vernon Adams Jr. in a two-point win for the Bombers. Meanwhile, when life gives you a heavy does of rain, give back an even heavier dose of Justin Rankin as Edmonton did in their one-score win over Ottawa. The game is back which also means my bi-weekly quarterback rankings are as well.

Nathan Rourke started 2025 third on this list and was the no doubt number one quarterback at the conclusion of the season. The reigning Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian has won every sort of award out there for a quarterback and is the clear number one choice as the best in the league.

There are so many individual statistics I could use to bolster this argument, but I will go with a team one instead. The Lions set a CFL record averaging 8.04 yards per play on offence, that all starts with Rourke.

Simple rule: if you lead your team to a 112th Grey Cup championship, win the MVP of said championship, and you put up over 4,000 yards passing I can’t have you any lower than the two spot.

No need to go into all the conversations about Davis Alexander’s hamstring or the team’s near perfect record when he starts and finishes a game.

The Alouettes quarterback looked 100 per cent back in his team’s overtime win on the road against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. On first glance, Davis’ 35-yard touchdown to Tyler Snead looks like it was all about Snead running away from defenders. But when you watch it back, Alexander managed to deliver a perfect strike into a tight window, hitting Snead in stride. Finally, the game doesn’t make it to overtime without his 14-yard completion to Tyler on that third-and-10 that led to the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.

I can feel the anger from Hamilton; I understand your complaint. How can the guy who led the league in passing yardage start the year at number four?

I had to ding Bo Levi Mitchell for that third-quarter Robert Kennedy III interception return touchdown. The home team looked like they were cruising to an opening day win after leading 24-10, but everything changed on a pass where Mitchell let that ball hang just a little too long.

Mitchell could have been picked off again in the final quarter on a deep shot to a double covered Kenny Lawler. The flip side to this is Bo had 307 yards while completing over 80 per cent of his passes. It also wasn’t his fault that Keric Wheatfall lost a fumble on Hamilton’s first possession in overtime.

If I can accomplish just one thing beyond making Hamiltonians angry it will be to highlight that crazy 15-play, 104-yard drive by Vernon Adams Jr.

Calgary was down 27-21 with three minutes left and facing a second-and-14 with Adams Jr. backed up in his own end zone. Vernon calmly found Jalen Philpot for a first down and later on another second-and-long he hit Erik Brooks for 32 yards. The drive ended with the Calgary quarterback keeping it himself on a short touchdown run that gave the Stamps a 28-27 lead. Unfortunately for him, Zach Collaros would steal the spotlight at the end. This game mirrored Vernon’s 2025 season, lotta highs matched with a few lows.

Speaking of Zach Collaros, he needed just one completion, a 27-yarder to Ontaria Wilson, to ruin all the hard work done by Adams Jr. as it set up the game-winning field goal for Winnipeg. The Bombers starter did lead the league in interceptions last year, BUT his one turnover on Friday night was the result of a pass going off the hands of Michael Chris-Ike on a screen. Can’t blame Zach for that one.

Is it possible to say a quarterback is the living embodiment of “steady as she goes” without it coming off as a half insult? If there is a way then that sums up Cody Fajardo perfectly. The pivot stepped in last year for Tre Ford about a month into the season and made the Elks a more competitive team. Cody’s numbers won’t blow you away, but you can win with him.

There are so many different ways of looking at where to place Chad Kelly in the quarterback hierarchy.

This spot is far too low for the 2023 MOP who has a cannon of an arm and has put up big numbers in playoff games. This spot is also just right as we haven’t seen Kelly start a game since the 2024 Eastern Final. There is a world where everything clicks between Kelly and his former quarterback coach and now head coach Mike Miller in a blink of an eye and Chad is back in the top three by late July.