CFL quarterbacks on scorching offensive pace heading into Week 3

Rolan Milligan Jr. and Nelson Lokombo are out, forcing changes in the Riders secondary before Saturday's matchup in Calgary. Donovan Maess has more.

As the Canadian Football League (CFL) enters its third week of the 2026 season, quarterbacks across the league are on a scorching hot pace.

It has some posing the question: Is this group of pass throwers one of the best the league has seen?

Perhaps so, as TSN’s Dave Naylor says this collection of quarterbacks is doing something not seen before.

“Quarterbacks in the CFL are throwing the ball more often, throwing it deeper and having more success doing it,” he said. “You would think when you’re going to throw the ball more often and take more risk by throwing the deeper down the field, the metrics are going to go down. That is not the case, right now.”

Through the first two weeks of the CFL season, the nine starting quarterbacks across the league are putting up record numbers.

The league’s completion rate is 70.4 per cent.

“For a season, that would be the highest of all time,” Naylor said.

Interceptions are at an all-time low as well, as less than one per cent of passes have been picked off to start the year.

“There have only been four interceptions in six games so far. That would be the lowest of all time,” added Naylor.

Plus, offenses are throwing downfield – and completing deep passes – more often than ever before.

“We’re seeing more throws pass, the passes attempted of over 20 yards and we’re seeing more plays completed of 30 plus yards,” Naylor explained. “We’re seeing teams throw roughly 10 per cent more passes per game. The metrics are all positive for the passing game early in this season. It’s been a remarkable start to the year.”

Gunslingers

In Week 2 alone, four quarterbacks had 400-plus passing yards in a game.

Including Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Trevor Harris, who finished with 417 passing yards on 30 completions and a completion percentage over 80 per cent against the B.C. Lions.

“Every team has very, very good quarterback play right now,” the 14-year CFL veteran told reporters Tuesday.

Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros, along with Montreal’s Davis Alexander and Toronto’s Chad Kelly in the same game, each also recorded 400 yards passing.

While reigning league MOP and MOC Nathan Rourke did not record 400 yards through the air, he had about 390 total individual yards – 330 passing and 59 rushing yards.

To Harris, the great quarterback play has been source of growing parity across the league.

“Elite rosters, a lot of continuity around the league in terms of keeping teams together,” he added. “That makes for a great brand of football and that’s why you’ve seen such high-level football with games coming down to the last minute.”

While they never actually line up against one another, pivots across the league are taking notice of their counterparts.

“You look at the quarterback play around the league in the last couple of years, I mean, it’s every game, right?” Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell said during a media availability Thursday. “There’s a guy on the other team leading the charge.”

Mitchell, who has been in the CFL since 2012, remembered back to some classic quarterback rivalries like himself and Mike Reilly, or Ricky Ray and Anthony Calvillo.

“Every single week, there’s a guy that can get out there and get it done,” Mitchell added. “But I don’t really think about too much about topping him.”

Coach’s gameplan

With high-octane offenses throughout, coaches say they have to scheme to defend elite quarterbacks each and every week.

“The quarterbacks in the league right now are all playing at a very high level,” Lions’ head coach Buck Pierce said Tuesday. “You look right across the board, everybody’s playing well … it’s not just defensively right. I mean we have to play complimentary football in the other phases as well.”

“Really good quarterback play throughout the league,” added Calgary Stampeders’ head coach Dave Dickenson. “Looking at it, our guy played well also. Just a lot of good quarterback play throughout the league, and through a lot of crappy weather; to see what the quarterbacks are doing, it’s very impressive.”

Roughriders’ head coach Corey Mace was not as convinced quarterbacks are the sole reason behind why teams are more even than ever.

“Trevor would say [it’s quarterbacks],” he joked. “You look at last week, yeah quarterbacks had a heck of an outing across the league and that could be partially it. But people would argue when it wasn’t quarterback play, there was still tight races.”

“Players are getting better everywhere; there’s more movement across the league. We’re seeing good players from every division switch over. It’s just a healthy balance,” Mace added.

There is only one thing Mace did say is not behind the surge in skill.

“Definitely not coaches,” he said with another laugh.

One thing is for sure, if this early season aerial approach continues, no team will want to be left behind.

“Every team in the league feels like they have a quarterback who can go out, air the ball deep and win a game like that,” Naylor said. “If you’re not doing it, the other team is doing it.”