The Calgary Stampeders have signed American quarterback Ben Wooldridge to their training camp roster.
Wooldridge had a breakout 2024 season at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, winning Offensive Player of the Year honours for the Sun Belt conference. He started 11 games, the most in his career, completing 192-of-291 passes (66 percent) for 2,453 yards, 17 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also added 65 carries for 174 yards and five majors.
The six-foot-two, 214-pound pivot spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Fresno State, dressing for five games with no starts, before transferring to play for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He would sit out the 2021 season before battling injuries in 2022 and 2023.
Between the two schools, the Pleasanton, Cal., native appeared in 29 games and made 19 starts, completing 60.9 percent of his passes for 4,769 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He ran 134 times for 461 yards and nine scores.
Wooldridge went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft but signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent. He appeared in one pre-season game before being waived. He was under contract with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League for training camp this year, but was waived on March 19.
The Calgary Stampeders weren’t very active in CFL free agency, though they signed former Toronto Argonauts receiver Dejon Brissett, who set a career-high with 907 receiving yards in 2025. The Stampeders didn’t lose any free agents to other CFL teams but had three players sign in the NFL: receiver Damien Alford (New Orleans Saints), defensive lineman Jaylon Hutchings (Minnesota Vikings), and linebacker Jacob Roberts (Minnesota Vikings).
The Stampeders hold the sixth 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. Calgary will play its first preseason game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Monday, May 18, and its first regular-season game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday, June 5.
In 2025, Calgary finished third in the West Division standings with an 11-7 record but lost the West Semi-Final to the B.C. Lions.
