One of the biggest questions facing the Ottawa Redblacks is who their starting quarterback will be next year.
After missing the playoffs for a fourth straight time this past season, general manager Shawn Burke will be sure to significantly turn over the roster. Of all the pending additions and subtractions, nailing the quarterback position will be the most essential.
A good-to-great quarterback can hide warts and elevate those around him, while a lesser passer can shine a spotlight on roster weaknesses every time he drops back to pass.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at Ottawa’s options for next season. They are listed alphabetically by last name.
Tyrie Adams
After a strong preseason showing, the second-year pro looked excellent in limited regular season action. Adams has a nice blend of arm strength, accuracy, and mobility that’s ideally suited for the Canadian game. He also boasts what might be the best hard count of any quarterback on the roster, frequently causing defenders to jump offside.
In his lone start of 2023, the 26-year-old completed 70 percent of his passes for 185 yards and a touchdown while leading the Redblacks to a 26-7 win over the Edmonton Elks. Still, the sample size might not be enough for the front office and coaching staff to believe he can handle a full season of work. He’s currently recovering from a torn ACL and his lack of size might make it hard for him to stay healthy over the course of 18 games.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson
There were rumours that Burke reached out to Bethel-Thompson after Jeremiah Masoli ruptured his Achilles in July to gauge his interest in returning to Canada. Obviously, things never progressed but perhaps the off-season is a better time to circle back.
The 35-year-old spent last season with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL, leading the league in passing yards to help his team go 7-3. He chose not to return to the CFL after winning the Grey Cup in 2022 in order to be closer to his family, though he’s reportedly expressed interest in returning north of the border for 2024.
The six-foot-four, 220-pound passer threw for 13,261 yards, 70 touchdowns, and 49 interceptions over five seasons in Toronto and was twice named an East Division all-star. He led the CFL in passing touchdowns in 2019 and has relatively low mileage for an older quarterback. He’s also proven he can stay healthy over long stretches of time.
Dru Brown
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ backup quarterback wasn’t called upon frequently in 2023, but he was highly effective when he got into games. The third-year pro completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 983 yards, nine touchdowns, and zero touchdowns, averaging an impressive 11 yards per completion.
Brown hardly seems like a safe bet as some will argue his success came as a result of the deep and talented roster around him. Regardless, he’s certainly an intriguing name to keep an eye on. He’s made it clear that he wants to be a starting quarterback in the CFL and he’s earned a shot to do exactly that, whether it’s in Ottawa or elsewhere.
Dustin Crum
Choosing to anoint Crum as the team’s starter heading into training camp would be awfully risky for Burke and head coach Bob Dyce. Both are on the hot seat and putting their fate in the hands of a player heading into just his second season hardly seems like a safe bet.
And yet, the 24-year-old isn’t like most young quarterbacks. He started 14 consecutive games as a rookie, placing him behind only Trevor Harris (20) and Henry Burris (37) in franchise history. The fact that Crum got so much playing time in his first pro season has surely sped up his development. Most young quarterbacks in the CFL take several years to accumulate the kind of playing time he got in a single season.
His play didn’t often result in wins, but there was a lot to like from the rookie, especially when you factor in the lacklustre system in which he operated. Crum completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,109 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He was also effective with his legs, scrambling 97 times for 741 yards and nine touchdowns while absorbing a league-high 59 sacks.
Jake Dolegala
The six-foot-seven passer is currently slated to hit free agency, though it seems unlikely that the Saskatchewan Roughriders will let him walk. The former NFL quarterback was thrust into the club’s starting role when Trevor Harris and Mason Fine went down with injuries and performed relatively well, completing 64.9 percent of his passes for 2,641 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
The 27-year-old had his fair share of ups and downs but had 16 explosive plays, which the league defines as gains of 30-plus yards. Ottawa needs more big plays and big Jake could help provide those in 2024 if he hits the open market.
Dane Evans
The 29-year-old has a connection to Burke from their time together with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and is one of the most experienced names currently set to hit the free agent market. The five-year veteran has made 31 career starts with 18 wins.
What holds Evans back from being a more attractive name is that despite multiple opportunities to stake his claim as a starting-calibre quarterback in the CFL, he’s never been more than average. He’s thrown for 49 touchdowns but has been picked off 40 times and is perhaps best-suited to being a solid backup as opposed to an unquestioned starter.
Jeremiah Masoli
The 35-year-old has publicly stated that he intends to play in 2024 and is currently under contract on a deal that pays a maximum of $508,000 for the year, including an off-season roster bonus of $100,000 on January 15. Given that he suffered yet another major injury in 2023, there’s simply no way the Redblacks will pay him that much money.
Masoli will have to agree to a restructured contract if he wants to return as the team’s starter, though it appears unlikely he’ll be healthy for the start of training camp.
Rolling with the veteran carries significant risk as he hasn’t played a full season since 2018. On one hand, his veteran experience is appealing and one could argue Ottawa would have done well with a healthy Masoli under centre for the last two seasons. On the other hand, hoping the veteran magically turns back the clock doesn’t inspire much confidence.
Nathan Rourke
It seems extremely unlikely that Rourke will return to the CFL in 2024 but if Burke could somehow convince the star to sign with the Redblacks, it would be exactly the kind of move that would reinvigorate R-Nation. If Ottawa wants to move the needle, bringing in the best Canadian quarterback the CFL has seen in decades would do the trick.
The only potential stumbling block, other than Rourke suddenly having to give up his NFL dream, is that he’d also need a new number, given that Russ Jackson’s No. 12 is long retired. Will this happen? Almost certainly not. Is it still worth mentioning as a possibility? Absolutely.
Matthew Shiltz
The veteran previously spent four seasons with the Montreal Alouettes and two with the Ticats, meaning he’d bring plenty of experience to the nation’s capital. However, he’s never risen above being a backup and struggled mightily when given a chance to start in this year’s East Semi-Final.
Over the course of his career, the 30-year-old has completed 65 percent of his passes for 4,357 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. Ottawa should probably shoot higher than Shiltz when it comes to their day-one starter, though they could certainly do worse than him as a depth option.
Chris Streveler
If the Redblacks were going to bring the former Winnipeg passer to the nation’s capital, it feels like it would’ve happened when Paul LaPolice was the team’s head coach. However, Streveler is only 28 and should have plenty of gas left in the tank considering how little he’s played over the last few years in the NFL.
The one-time Grey Cup champion has been a free agent since August and has played only 85 snaps since 2020. He’s already secured his NFL pension, which means if he wants to play again anytime soon, the CFL wouldn’t be a bad option for the dual-threat passer.
