Canadian long snapper Simon Chaves has retired from the CFL. The move appeared on the league’s transactions page on Tuesday and 3DownNation confirmed it with his agent, Fred Weinrauch.
The native of Guelph, Ont. played 12 regular-season games in 2025 as a member of the Ottawa Redblacks, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Toronto Argonauts.
The 27-year-old originally went unselected in the 2022 CFL Draft before stints with the Edmonton Elks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He made his professional debut with the Argonauts in 2024, dressing for one regular-season game. Chaves was on the team’s practice roster when they won the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver, B.C.
The five-foot-eleven, 215-pound specialist played 33 collegiate games at the University of Guelph, recording 12 tackles. He also won an OUA silver medal in wrestling.
The Toronto Argonauts added several key free agents this winter, including offensive lineman Dakoda Shepley, defensive lineman DeWayne Hendrix, strong-side linebacker Adarius Pickett, and defensive back DaShaun Amos. The team’s key losses included receiver Dejon Brissett (Calgary Stampeders) and linebacker Wynton McManis (Hamilton Tiger-Cats).
The Argonauts hold the second overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. Toronto will play its first preseason game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, May 23, then its first regular-season game against the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, June 12.
In 2025, Toronto finished third in the East Division standings with a 5-13 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Mike Miller was promoted to the role of head coach following the departure of Ryan Dinwiddie.
