Ottawa Redblacks to start Jake Maier over Dru Brown in preseason finale

Photo: Montreal Alouettes

The Ottawa Redblacks have listed Jake Maier as their starting quarterback for Friday’s preseason finale against the Montreal Alouettes.

The announcement was made two days after head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie indicated the starting job wasn’t Dru Brown’s to lose and he was looking for someone to win the role.

Maier shone in last week’s preseason win over the Montreal Alouettes, completing 10-of-14 pass attempts for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

The 29-year-old served as the backup to Trevor Harris in Saskatchewan in 2025, throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions to help the team win the Grey Cup. He previously spent four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, throwing for 11,685 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions.

Brown, the team’s incumbent starter, restructured his contract with Ottawa after an injury-plagued season in 2025. He completed 71.5 percent of his passes for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, going 2-7 as a starter. The 29-year-old did not play in last week’s preseason game.

Three-time All-CFL centre Sean McEwen will dress on Friday night as he hopes to play in Week 1. The Calgary native is coming off a torn ACL he suffered in last year’s training camp with Saskatchewan, which forced him to miss the entire year.

Other veterans who will start after sitting out last week include running back Greg Bell, receivers Justin Hardy and Kalil Pimpleton, offensive lineman Drew Desjarlais, defensive linemen Habakkuk Baldonado and Michael Wakefield, linebackers A.J. Allen and Nyles Morgan, and defensive backs C.J. Reavis and Alonzo Addae.

Ottawa’s depth chart for Friday night’s preseason game can be found below.

The Ottawa Redblacks opened training camp on May 10. The team won 27-12 in its first preseason game against the Montreal Alouettes. Ottawa will finish the preseason against Montreal on Friday, May 29. Final roster cuts are due on Saturday, May 30, after which the team will play its first regular-season game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, June 6.

Ottawa recently selected Purdue offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro with their first-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, and it appears he could be a day-one starter. The team’s other major offseason additions include quarterback Jake Maier, running back Greg Bell, linebacker A.J. Allen, and strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis.

In 2025, the Redblacks finished fourth in the East Division standings with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Ryan Dinwiddie was hired as the team’s head coach and general manager after the firing of Bob Dyce.