Photo: Ottawa Redblacks. Photo edit: 3DownNation.
If Sean McEwen has his way, he’ll be on the field when the Ottawa Redblacks play their first regular-season game of 2026.
“My goal is to play the first regular-season game,” McEwen told the media in Ottawa on Monday. “I’m going to do everything possible to make that happen.”
The 32-year-old suffered a torn ACL early in training camp with the Saskatchewan Roughriders last year. It marked not only the end of his season but the first major injury of his 10-year professional career.
The six-foot-one, 295-pound blocker signed with the Redblacks earlier this month after fearing he would go unsigned in 2026.
“There was a lot of career uncertainty for me. It was a tough offseason,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever, since I’ve been in the CFL, gone longer than a day without a contract and trying to do this rehab while also not knowing if there was going to be an opportunity on the other end of it, that was the hardest part.”
Head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie isn’t sure if McEwen will be available for Week 1, though he isn’t ruling anything out. If the veteran is unable to play, it sounds like second-round 2025 CFL Draft pick Sam Carson will start at centre.
“(McEwen playing Week 1) might be a little bit of a stretch, we’ll see,” said Dinwiddie. “I want to keep hope out for that but I think Sam Carson’s had a great camp and he’s took the next step at centre. They have a great relationship, too, so Sean’s making Sam better. I’m hoping for the best. We’ll see.”
It’s not been long since McEwen was considered the league’s best centre. After being named All-CFL in just his second season with Toronto in 2017, he was named All-CFL in back-to-back years with his hometown Stampeders following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In total, the former first-round CFL draft pick has played 132 career regular-season CFL games. Though it’s been 17 months since his last live action, McEwen feels he’s getting back up to game speed relatively quickly.
“Part of it’s kinda like riding a bike, but usually it’s like, ‘OK, there’s things that I just need to do better.’ It might feel OK but then I’ll go back and watch it on tape … and think, ‘OK, I should probably do this a little differently, step a little bit more this way,’ but it’ll come quick. I’m not too worried about it.”
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.
