Ottawa Redblacks set new CFL record for most consecutive losses to start season

Photo courtesy: CFL.ca

The Ottawa Redblacks’ abysmal 2026 season has reached a historic new low point.

The franchise dropped to 0-15 with a 34-16 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday, officially setting a new CFL record for the worst start in league history.

The 1994 Shreveport Pirates previously held the record for the worst start in CFL history, losing 14 consecutive games to begin their inaugural season. Ottawa tied that mark with a 45-31 loss to Calgary last week.

Ottawa had a promising start against the Ticats, who were eliminated from playoff contention last week and entered this game as losers of five straight. They held a 16-13 lead at halftime and maintained it until the final play of the third quarter, when Harrison Frost connected with Kenny Lawler for a go-ahead touchdown pass. The Tabbies scored two more majors in the final frame, including another by Lawler, to record the victory.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson was 17-of-31 passing in the loss for 208 yards. Short-yardage QB Bryson Barnes scored Ottawa’s only touchdown, while Global kicker Paul Geelen connected on three-of-four field goals in his first career CFL game.

The Redblacks previously broke Shreveport’s record for the longest consecutive losing streak in modern CFL history on August 14, a mark that has since grown to 21 straight games. The team has not won since September 3, 2025, when they defeated the B.C. Lions by a single point.

The only team in the history of Canadian professional football to lose more games in a row than the Redblacks are their predecessors, the Ottawa Rough Riders, who were defeated in 25 consecutive games from 1928 to 1932. The CFL was not officially founded until 1958.

Ottawa has three games remaining to record their first win of the season. No team in CFL history has finished winless.

The Redblacks (0-15) will return to action on Friday, October 9, when they visit the B.C. Lions. Kickoff is slated for 10:00 p.m. EDT.