Former CFL QB, assistant coach Will Arndt signs with Albany Firebirds

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

Will Arndt is set to hit the field as a player for the first time in over four years after signing with the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League.

The 30-year-old spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks, completing 103-of-165 pass attempts for 940 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions and going 0-3 as a starter. He signed with the B.C. Lions ahead of the CFL’s canceled season in 2020 but was cut in training camp the following year.

Arndt joined the Edmonton Elks as an offensive assistant following his release from the Lions but wasn’t retained when the team cleaned house at the end of the season. He was named Ottawa’s quarterbacks coach under Paul LaPolice in January 2022 but chose to leave the organization following the season to revive his playing career.

The native of Sandy Hook, Conn. took a unique path to the CFL, first playing in Canada with the Fort McMurray Monarchs of the Alberta Football League. He spent his collegiate career at Western Connecticut State University, a Division III program in Danbury, Conn., where he became the school’s all-time leading passer.

This will be the inaugural season for the Firebirds as the franchise previously folded following a successful run from 1990 to 2009. The team will open its 2024 regular season on Saturday, April 27 when they host the Orlando Predators.