CALGARY — It was only a couple of seasons ago that the Calgary Stampeders found themselves in a tough position in the Canadian Football League’s West Division.
The Red and White ended up missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, even finding themselves at the bottom of the standings in the entire CFL at the end of the 2024 campaign.
But things were massively different last season — a talented corps of rookies combined with a solid veteran presence on both offence and defence saw the Stampeders not only qualify for the postseason, they finished a single win back of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the quest for first in the West. In the end, Calgary put together an 11-7 record and finished third in the Division, eventually losing 33-30 to the B.C. Lions in the West semifinal.
Now, the goal is to take one more step in the right direction. And with how things went for Calgary in 2025, that could make for a special season indeed.
Jock Wilson with the Stampeders Broadcast Network joined The SportsCage on Tuesday to go over Calgary’s fortunes and what fans might expect when they see the Stamps this season.
“I will tell you this from a Calgary Stampeder perspective: don't sleep on the Red and White,” WIlson began. “This is a veteran team. This is a team that brought basically everybody back from last season, but there's no one in the country right now, at least not many people in the country, that are giving the Calgary Stampeders much of a chance. I've seen a lot of these power rankings and I don't know what these dudes are smoking because if you look at this team, even some of the sports books are saying maybe eight and a half wins. Man, I would go to my grave thinking that there is no chance this team is going to win less than eight games.”
It all starts with starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. Heading into his 10th CFL season, Adams Jr. enjoyed one of his most productive seasons to date in 2025, playing 17 games and completing 280 passes for 4,247 yards and 21 touchdowns to go along with 40 carries for 332 yards.
Adams Jr. has had injury issues in the past, though, and the team is also high on current back-up quarterback Josh Love should something happen to their standout pivot.
“The best case scenario, he doesn't hit the field all year and Vernon Adams stays healthy, but we know that's a wild card,” Wilson said. “[Stampeders coach] Dave Dickinson is very high on [Love] because he's not a snot-nosed rookie. He's got a year of CFL experience under his belt and Dickenson loves his game right now… He's an older quarterback. He's got some UFL experience. So I think when it's all said and done you hope you don't see Josh Love because you'd rather have Vernon Adams play the entire season. But is that possible? Time will tell.”
As for the targets the quarterbacks will be throwing to, well, beware the Killer B’s. That includes the likes of a recovering-from-injury Reggie Begelton, wide receivers Clark Barnes and Dejon Brissett along with slotback Eric Brooks. All are extremely talented pass catchers in Wilson’s eyes, and along with leading returning receiver Jalen Philpot, give Adams a lethal crew of pass catchers.
The running game will be anchored by 1,400-yard rusher Dedrick Mills, who had 11 touchdowns last year.
Protecting Adams and opening holes up front for Mills will be an offensive line that’s mainly intact from last season, with centre Chris Fortin rapidly evolving into a top notch blocker after being drafted by the Stampeders in 2025.
On the other side of the ball, the defensive line received high praise from Wilson, who feels they’ll be a major part of Calgary’s success this season. The Stamps are anchored by the return of Jaylon Hutchings from the NFL along with fellow dangerous pass rusher Clarence Hicks, who is predicting he’ll rack up 20 sacks this year. Fol Arimolade is returning from an Achilles injury that limited his playing time last season and Miles Brown also brings a veteran presence.
“I know people in Regina may argue it but that is arguably the best defensive line in the Canadian Football League,” lauded Wilson.
On top of that, Dickenson himself is high on the team’s linebacking corps, saying in a recent conversation with Wilson that they might be the improved area of the team.
“And that's after losing Jacob Roberts to the NFL and the Vikings,” Wilson said, adding that former Hamilton TiCats veteran Kyle Wilson, Marquel Lee and former Saskatchewan Roughrider Derek Moncrief will all be among the ones to watch.
Finally, the team’s defensive backs are also remarkably deep, with Jaydon Grant and Sheldon Arnold — once he recovers from injury — joining the likes of safety Damon Webb and corners Anthony Johnson and Adrian Greene in looking to shut down the opposition’s passing game.
“So I think ultimately it's a very good looking defense and a defense that I think is going to do some damage this year,” Wilson said.
All in all, Wilson thinks the main determining factor that will decide if Calgary is a top team in the West this season is injuries. That did a ton of damage to the Stamps hopes last season — with the likes of Begelton, Lee, Arimolade and Josh Coker among a series of players who went down for lengthy stretches. The injury bug has already had a hit on the team this season with former Regina Rams defensive back Jackson Sombach and a fellow Canadian in defensive lineman Daniel Joseph both sidelined at the moment.
“Something like that lowers the depth from a Canadian perspective, it really shows how injuries can hurt you,” Wilson said. “So it’ll be a big thing if this team can find a way to stay healthy.”
Overall, it’s safe to say that after some lean years, hopes are high in Calgary for another special season — especially with the Grey Cup being played at McMahon Stadium this November.
“The expectations are this team not only makes the playoffs, this team hosts a home playoff game and if possible gets into their home Grey Cup. ‘That's how high the expectations are and we'll see if they can live up to those expectations.“
The Stampeders open their 2026 campaign on Friday night when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, with kickoff at 7 p.m.
You can check out Jock Wilson’s complete chat by clicking on the video below:
