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The Ottawa Redblacks are evaluating all options after dropping to 0-10 on the season, including a potential change at quarterback.
Head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie wouldn’t rule out any possibilities after benching starter Jake Maier during Thursday’s 46-16 loss to the Alouettes.
“We’ll see. We’ve got a 10-day week,” he told TSN 1200 post-game when asked whether a permanent switch was being considered. “We thought about doing that (benching Maier) in the third quarter. I said, ‘Let’s give Jake one more.’ Then we went down (another) score.”
Maier completed 14-of-23 passes for just 126 yards and two interceptions in the blowout. His final snap came on the last play of the third quarter, when he was stripped by Montreal linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku. Veteran backup McLeod Bethel-Thompson took to the field to start the fourth.
The 29-year-old pivot indicated post-game that he wasn’t happy about the benching, but appeared to have made peace with Dinwiddie’s decision.
“I had a good conversation with Coach about it. He was upfront and honest, and that’ll stay between us. I think everything will be okay,” Maier told the media.
“We just had too many unfortunate, crippling plays, and I had to do with a couple of them, for sure. That’ll be something that I’m definitely accountable for.”
Dinwiddie did not provide a detailed assessment of his starting quarterback’s performance, but suggested that the first interception, which occurred with under four minutes remaining in the first quarter when Ottawa had a chance to go up 14-0, was the turning point in the game.
“We went down the field, did what we needed to do to score, and on first-and-five, we’re just trying to call quick game. They came up, played two-man, so we had to work our conversions. We just can’t have a turnover there,” he emphasized. “They had the right call, but we could get an incompletion — second-and-five, we’re alright. That’s where I kind of felt like the wheels fell off offensively.”
For his part, Maier felt it was his second interception, which was returned 29 yards for a touchdown by Kabion Ento, which actually proved fatal.
“Truth be told, he kind of got in my blind spot a little bit; he ran right through and jumped around. Nobody’s fault besides mine, not recognizing that that’s the coverage that they were playing,” he explained. “I just felt like that’s where the game really flipped.”
Maier has started all 10 games for the Redblacks since he supplanted incumbent Dru Brown in training camp, a decision by Dinwiddie which surprised many at the time. He has posted respectable numbers, completing 260-of-374 passes (69.5 percent) for 2,806 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. However, victory has eluded him, as the Redblacks have extended their record-setting CFL losing streak to 16 games dating back to 2025.
At various points, the Fullerton, Cal., native has claimed both ignorance and complete responsibility for Ottawa’s failings. His coach has backed him at every turn, though that confidence could be waning.
Dinwiddie did cast some doubt on the possibility of a change under centre by expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of Bethel-Thompson. The 38-year-old, who was signed after Ottawa traded Brown away, connected on four-of-nine attempts in a quarter of action, throwing for 55 yards and an interception.
“I didn’t think Mac looked that sharp in there. The interception, he had Keelan (White) on the inside seam, and that’s our first read. He’s still working through some rust there,” Dinwiddie said.
For the first time, the 45-year-old bench boss acknowledged that he was considering giving rookie third-stringer Bryson Barnes meaningful reps, a prospect he’d previously expressed hesitancy regarding. Unfortunately, other factors got in the way.
“I would have went with Bryson, too, at the end. He got a little dinged on the short yardage, his last one, so I didn’t want to put him out there and risk injury. He had a beat-up leg,” Dinwiddie revealed.
Ottawa won’t return to action until Sunday, August 30, when they host the B.C. Lions, which will provide the organization with over a week to weigh their options. Maier provides stability, but the results are tough to ignore. Bethel-Thompson offers a wealth of experience, but does nothing for the future of the franchise. Barnes is entirely unproven; a mystery box which could make the situation worse just as easily as he could improve it.
Dinwiddie acknowledged that change on the roster is inevitable at this point, but whether quarterback is included remains to be seen.
“We’re all playing and coaching for our jobs, and so we’re gonna give a lot of these other guys opportunities that are deserving of it. We’re not gonna throw a guy out there if he don’t deserve it, but at this stage, we’re gonna have to mix it up a little bit,” he said.
“We’re 0-10. I mean, you’re still in the playoff hunt, but I’m not even worried about that. I just told all the guys we gotta look in the mirror, and everybody’s got to do their job better. That should be our focus individually.”
