3DownNation CFL power rankings: bring on the Grey Cup playoffs

Photo: Tanner Piper/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The 2026 CFL regular season has finally reached its conclusion, which means our power rankings must come to an end as well.

The Stampeders, Tiger-Cats, and Redblacks have already turned the page to next year, while the Bombers, Riders, Argos, Lions, Elks, and Alouettes battle for Earl Grey’s coveted chalice. We’ll be back once the elimination bracket has concluded.

3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having our contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. Each team’s most recent ranking is listed in brackets.

Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on social media for anything you think we got wrong.

1) Montreal Alouettes (1)

The Alouettes didn’t need Davis Alexander, Tyson Philpot, or Tyler Snead to end their season in the win column. Dustin Crum and Caleb Evans both saw action under centre, Stevie Scott III and Shomari Lawrence split reps in the backfield, while Charleston Rambo and Kaseem Ferdinand cashed in receiving touchdowns. With a first-round bye next week, Montreal’s offensive big three will have had three weeks off before a sold-out Eastern Final.

2) Edmonton Elks (2)

The Green and Gold skewed green in their regular-season finale, playing mostly backups in a narrow loss to Saskatchewan. ShunDerrick Powell continued to impress amongst the crew of youngsters, though the best news was the return of both Javon Leake and T.J. Luther from injury. The result doesn’t detract from Edmonton’s remarkable turnaround, as they added six victories to their total from last season.

3) B.C. Lions (3)

The Lions may have lost their second straight meaningless game to end the season, but their B and C teams had Winnipeg on the ropes for three quarters. Kaidon Salter had an inconsistent outing but connected on some deep shots down the field, including an early touchdown pass to first-round pick Nate Demontagnac. Jermaine Jackson, who was cut by the team in training camp, officially surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in the game, though Zander Horvath was held short of the single-season rushing and total touchdown records held by Mike Pringle and Milt Stegall, respectively.

4) Toronto Argonauts (5)

Tucker Horn kicked off his first career CFL start with a 71-yard touchdown pass to Dymere Miller, but couldn’t quite keep the momentum going as Toronto ended the year with a loss. The focus now shifts to the Eastern Semi-Final, where Chad Kelly’s status is still up in the air after a knee injury suffered against Ottawa. With Nick Arbuckle getting a week off against Montreal, you have to wonder if that was motivated by a desire for evaluation or preservation.

5) Calgary Stampeders (4)

The Stampeders were forced to sit idle as their playoff fate was decided for them in the final week of the season. Despite finishing with nine wins and leading the CFL in scoring, Calgary will miss the postseason for the second time in three years. Head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson is already evaluating his coaching staff in anticipation of being back next year, though it is unclear whether a decision has been made on his future. Star receiver Jalen Philpot also has a decision to make, as he seems on the fence about re-signing with the team.

6) Saskatchewan Roughriders (6)

The Riders secured the rights to stay in the West Division for the postseason, as Jack Coan and Brayden Schager pushed through extremely windy conditions to combine for a victory in their first significant CFL action. The defence had a strong outing, while Tommy Stevens punched in two rushing touchdowns to break George Reed’s single-season franchise record. Not a bad way to bid goodbye to the 55-yard line at Mosaic Stadium.

7) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7)

The Bombers managed to clinch the final CFL playoff spot with a 24-point win in B.C., but their performance left much to be desired. Winnipeg mustered just three points through 43 minutes and trailed a Lions team comprised primarily of backups. It wasn’t until Zach Collaros exited the game with an injury that the switch flipped, as Dru Brown was a perfect 11-of-11 in relief for 185 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback situation will be a storyline to watch as the team gets ready to crossover for the second year in a row.

8) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9)

The Tabbies ended their lost season on a winning note, as Tre Ford got to make one more start and displayed his typical array of athletic flashes. Hamilton has already been busy ensuring the QB carousel ends once Bo Levi Mitchell gets healthy, locking him up for two more years and extending a pair of key offensive linemen. However, maybe they didn’t need to go through so much trouble, as the Ticats would be preparing for the playoffs under next year’s format.

9) Ottawa Redblacks (8)

Well, it was nice while it lasted. Bryson Barnes fell back to earth, and the Redblacks returned to their losing ways on Saturday, tying the 2003 Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the worst record in CFL history. The focus has already shifted off the field, as Mike Morreale was named the new team president and will be in charge of determining the future of head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie. Only time will tell if his choices will be enough to turn around the fortunes of the ailing franchise, both on and off the field.