Jalen Philpot non-committal on future with Calgary Stampeders

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One of the Calgary Stampeders’ biggest stars is thinking long and hard about his future with the franchise.

Canadian receiver Jalen Philpot is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason and was non-committal when asked whether he intends to be back next year.

“Obviously, I’ve been playing in Calgary for a while now, so Calgary’s home at the moment. But definitely going to take some time to get with my family, get out East with my mom in Nova Scotia, and relax and just see,” he told the media on Saturday. “I’m used to winning football, so not winning a playoff game in five years is tough. I want to be a part of the guys that fix that here, but it’s something I’ve just got to sit back and take some time to think about.”

The Stampeders were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Friday. Despite leading the CFL in points scored and tying two playoff teams at 9-9, they will watch the postseason on the couch for the second time in three years.

Calgary has not recorded a playoff victory since 2018, when they won the Grey Cup. Philpot was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 CFL Draft and has seen the team knocked out in the first round three times. In the meantime, his identical twin brother, Tyson, has enjoyed immense playoff success, reaching two Grey Cups, winning one, and earning Most Valuable Canadian honours in the process.

Head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson told 3DownNation that he was unaware whether the disparity in results between the siblings was causing any extra consternation.

“I haven’t talked to him on that side,” he said. “We feel he’s steadily improved each and every year. His health has been one of the things that held him back, and he’s been crossing his T’s and dotting his I’s there. I think he’s taking care of his body. Feels comfortable with how he feels as an athlete. I think he showed this year, or we did too, that we design the offence around him. We were able to get him more opportunities, which then translated into better numbers. I thought he had a heck of a year. I know not the numbers his brother put up, but he was one of our best players. He was a reliable guy that made plays for us as an organization.”

Philpot enjoyed a career year for the Stampeders in 2026, catching 91 passes for 1,241 yards and eight touchdowns. The 26-year-old finished sixth in CFL receiving yardage, 568 yards behind the league leader, Tyson. More importantly, he appeared in all 18 games for just the second time in his career, checking off a lot of personal achievements while team ones fell short.

“When I sit back and look at it, 1,200 yards, eight touchdowns is what I wanted to do,” Philpot said. “It was on my vision board before the season, so I feel like from a personal aspect, I was able to reach some goals. Super proud of myself for that. It’s been a long career with injuries and stuff like that, so just thankful to be able to kind of start hitting the peaks that I know I can hit.”

Why that increase in production didn’t result in more victories is a question that will dominate the next few months.

“You want to know exactly and pinpoint what happened. Obviously, if we did know, we probably would have fixed it early on in the year,” Philpot remarked. “Up and down, just not consistent enough. I think that was the biggest thing. We would get into games, and we just made the same mistakes, or we’d get into games we wouldn’t make mistakes, and we’d put up 52 points.”

When the Delta, B.C., native signed his last contract extension with the Stampeders two years ago, it was the arrival of quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. that convinced him to give Calgary another chance. The pair have established chemistry, and the fact that the 33-year-old pivot remains under contract could be a deciding factor in Philpot’s decision.

“I’m sure him and his brother will have some NFL workouts and things like that. I know other teams are gonna want him as well, but I would love to have Jalen back here,” Adams Jr. told reporters. “He had a heck of a year, and I’m so proud of him. I’ve seen his growth. When I was in Montreal, we drafted his brother, so I’ve been watching both of them since they were young pups in the league, and both of them are just playing so well. I would love to have Jalen back. Whatever we need to do, let’s get him.”

If he continues to be the man in charge, Dickenson is willing to follow his quarterback’s advice. However, it will be up to Philpot to make the final call.

“I think he has a great relationship with Vernon. I think they see the game and a lot of things (the same way). I think they’re a great team,” he said. “The goal would obviously be to get Jalen back, keep building, keep getting better. We’ll do our part as long as he wants to be here. I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to get something done.”

CFL free agency is slated to take place in early February, though an official date has yet to be announced.

Editor’s note: This article was written using key files obtained by 3DownNation contributor Ryan Ballantine.