The curtain opens for the 2025 Canadian Football League season with the fanbases of each of the nine teams capable of generating at least one strong argument for hoisting the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg on the night of November 16.
Who do we feel holds the Grey Cup aloft is why we’re here with our second annual Preseason Futures column.
Last May, we picked BC over Montreal in the 111th Grey Cup, only to see our prediction dashed by Saskatchewan eliminating the Lions in the Western Semi-Final before the Alouettes’ hopes for a repeat were snatched away by the eventual Grey Cup champion Argonauts in the Eastern Final.
RELATED
» Play Preseason Futures now on CFL Game Zone
» Get ready for the 2025 season with insights, analysis and more
» Buy Tickets for the 2025 season
» Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel
» Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates
1. WHICH TEAM WINS THE EASTERN FINAL?
Honestly, one can’t go wrong here, but the East feels like it comes down to the defending champions and a REDBLACKS offence that added All-CFL receiver Eugene Lewis and durable all-purpose running back William Stanback over the winter.
Toronto’s defence will look different, especially up front, but the Boatmen still have linebacker Wynton McManis anchoring the unit. Grey Cup MVP Nick Arbuckle is set to begin the season at pivot if Chad Kelly’s broken leg needs more time to heal.
Hamilton won’t struggle to score points but keeping the opposition from doing so hurts their cause while Montreal may need time to adjust to Davis Alexander leading the offence now that Cody Fajardo is out west in Edmonton.
In the end, though, we’re taking Ottawa over Toronto in a division that will be filled with suspense from the outset.
2. WHICH TEAM WINS THE WESTERN FINAL?
Surely, one cannot count out the five-time defending West Division champion Blue Bombers, who will seek an even half-dozen with the opportunity to capture the franchise’s 13th Grey Cup in front of the home crowd. Doing so requires Zach Collaros, Brady Oliveira, Willie Jefferson, and friends (many of which will be new to Bombers faithful) to defy not only Father Time but a division that changed drastically over the winter.
The Lions handed Nathan Rourke the keys to the offence after trading Vernon Adams Jr. to Calgary while adding veteran running back James Butler to ignite the ground game. Newcomer Micah Awe and a full season of Mathieu Betts will solidify a defence that gave up at least 30 points five times late in the regular season.
Ageless Trevor Harris returns to guide the Roughriders, who reached the Western Final despite going winless in seven-straight games between Weeks 8-14. Meanwhile, the addition of Adams Jr. along with receivers Tevin Jones and Dominique Rhymes improves a Stamps passing attack that averaged a league-low 260.1 yards per game in 2024.
Then, there’s the Elks, who entrust their hopes to Tre Ford at pivot as new head coach Mark Kilam seeks to usher in a new era of success in Edmonton.
After some thought, we will hitch our wagons to BC as the 2022 version of Rourke stays healthy and accounts for over 40 majors while Betts flirts with breaking his own record for single-season sacks (18) by a Canadian-born player.
3. WHICH TEAM WILL FINISH WITH THE BEST REGULAR SEASON RECORD?
The Argos finished the regular season 9-8-1 and still won the Grey Cup, which means having the best record doesn’t guarantee a trip to the Grey Cup.
A healthy Nathan Rourke should be enough to propel the Lions to a 13-5-0 regular season and host the Western Final. The Argos, Alouettes, and Blue Bombers should finish in the 11-12 win range, while the Elks become the unexpected team that exceeds expectations.
4. WHO WINS THE 112TH GREY CUP?
Winnipeg won’t win the Grey Cup, but a former Bombers field general will.
Brown outduels Rourke to win a championship game that will resonate for decades, giving the REDBLACKS their first title since 2016.
Like Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts down south, Brown v. Rourke will become a championship habit.
