Canadian quarterback Tre Ford has the full backing of the Edmonton Elks’ new regime.
Owner Larry Thompson, president Chris Morris, general manager Ed Hervey, and head coach Mark Kilam believe in the dynamic QB as the team’s unquestioned starter at football’s most important position. This is much different than how Ford was viewed and treated by Chris Jones, even after the mercurial coach selected him in the first round, eighth overall, of the 2022 CFL Draft.
“They see me as a quarterback, a franchise quarterback that’s going to go out there, execute at a high level, and put our team in situations to win games. They’re giving me an opportunity and I gotta take advantage of it — I’m grateful,” Ford said.
The 26-year-old signed a three-year contract extension with the double E, which could total $1,238,500. Per sources, he can max out at $367,000 in 2025, $425,500 in 2026, and $446,000 in 2027, which is bonafide QB1 money in the Canadian Football League.
“As a quarterback, it’s not my job to go be a superstar every single play and try to win the game myself,” Ford said. “It’s about being a general, dishing the ball out to the receivers, executing, and keeping the offence running at a high level to have chances of winning football games. I think they know that, too. They’ve been playing football for a long time and coaching it.”
Canadian offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic has come over from the Lions to mesh with the ultra-athletic QB after working with Nathan Rourke and Vernon Adams Jr. in B.C. Ford’s looking forward to joining forces with Maksymic wearing Green and Gold.
“He’s done a phenomenal job in the past with a couple quarterbacks he’s had. I’m excited for the opportunity to try to go out there and continue to have success with his offence,” the six-foot-one, 195-pound dual-threat pivot said.
Kilam views his strengths as special teams and defence, which is why he wanted an experienced offensive coordinator with a proven track record developing quarterbacks. Maksymic checked both boxes and is also a native of St. Alberta, Alta., adding to an organization that has prioritized hiring people with local ties.
“If you look at the quarterbacks that Jordan’s worked with, they’re outstanding. It was a great hire for our football team and I can’t wait to see what he does with Tre,” Kilam said. “He’s going to be confident that the structure and the scheme that we put him in is going to accentuate his strengths.”
Ford started five games and produced a 4-1 win-loss record in 2024. The Niagara Falls, Ont. native completed 71.7 percent of his passes for 1,137 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing 23 times for 206 yards — 9.0 per carry — this past season.
The 45-year-old bench boss doesn’t see Ford as a one-dimensional running quarterback. Kilam knows from experience, having watched from the sidelines with the Calgary Stampeders, saying the young man with 4.45 forty-yard speed puts “a ton of pressure on every defence” that lines up across from him.
“Sometimes he can get mislabeled that he’s only using his legs, but he’s using his legs to open up the passing game, that’s what he’s doing. I don’t wanna put labels on him,” Kilam said. “The players that are around him are going to fit into what we’re doing. It’s going to be a well-oiled unit all around, it’s not just on one person. He’s the conductor that’s making it go, but we’re going to really try to build the system around him.”
The former Hec Crighton Trophy winner has dressed for 38 games in his three-year CFL career, starting 18 with a 9-9 win-loss record. Ford has completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,667 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He has also rushed 108 times for 977 yards with three majors, averaging nine yards per carry.
