2025 CFL Season Will Showcase League’s Future at QB
Photo via X @GoElks
Entering the 2025 CFL season, it will be all about the young quarterbacks taking over the mantle and lead the CFL to the next era of Canadian football.
There came surprising names who emerged last year that threw the CFL into a frenzy and some that improved their performance year over year. The league is filled with older quarterbacks and the biggest question for the league is who the young guys will be to step in and be the next man in line to carry the league.
Let’s look at four quarterbacks under age 30 who will be the faces of the league starting in 2025.
Tre Ford, Edmonton Elks
The tired routine of “will they, won’t they” is officially over as Ford finally takes the reigns in Edmonton. Previous head coach Chris Jones had issues with Ford, but there is no denying the natural athletic talent Ford has made him the Lamar Jackson of the CFL.
Ford is back after an up and down last season with injuries and battling with MeLeod Bethel-Thompson for playing time. He finished with 1,137 yards and 10 touchdowns to five interceptions.
What was missing from last year is more designed running plays that the Elks hope that new head coach Mark Kilam will unleash in Ford. The 26-year-old quarterback has all the potential to be the league’s future star and now he has a fair shot of doing so without any concerns of losing his job in camp.
Davis Alexander, Montreal Alouettes
Cody Fajardo was shown the door in Montreal after leading the team to a Grey Cup title two years ago and the league’s best record last season. Not as many people are broken hearted about it because 2024 was the coming out party of 26-year-old Davis Alexander.
In Week 8 against the Roughriders, Alexander came in for the injured Caleb Evans and led a comeback win. He would start four games during the regular season without losing any of those contests. Alexander passed for 1,347 yards and six touchdowns to two interceptions with three rushing majorsv.
A new contract and a vote of confidence from Montreal now has Alexander as the new face of the franchise. If last year was an indication, the Alouettes might have the next great CFL quarterback leading them onto the field.
Dru Brown, Ottawa Redblacks
One of the biggest trades of the offseason last season was the Redblacks going all in on Dru Brown and bringing him in to be the new franchise quarterback from Winnipeg. That gamble paid off as Ottawa made the postseason for the first time since 2018.
Brown sure had his ups and downs during the regular season but would put up some big numbers and carried the team when he needed to. He finished with 3,959 yards and 18 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in his first full season as a starter.
It wasn’t a perfect first season, but by the end of the year it became clear that Brown was the right man for the job. Entering season two, Brown will have more pressure to elevate his game and has the talent on offense and defense to lead Ottawa to its second-ever Grey Cup title.
Nathan Rourke, BC Lions
Vernon Adams Jr. is out of the picture after being traded to Calgary, so Nathan Rourke takes full control of the Lions’ offense. Buck Pierce comes in as the new head coach and is tasked with working with the CFL’s most polarizing quarterbacks as fans either love his potential or are weary of what he can do.
Rourke’s return to the CFL in the middle of last season was the biggest storyline of the season, but that was soured out quickly after he played in nine games as he threw for four touchdowns to nine interceptions. This is quite the opposite of what CFL fans are used to from the guy who won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian in 2022.
Some grace needs to be given to Rourke after having to make the transition from the NFL to the CFL and there were lingering issues with previous head coach Rick Campbell and how the Lions played before and during Rourke’s time. That grace will not last long in 2025 as Rourke is expected to find his old form and get BC to be top contenders again.
