Are the Edmonton Elks the team to beat in the CFL?
That’s a question that hasn’t been asked in Alberta’s capital for a decade. But with more than two-thirds of the 2026 regular season done and dusted, and after a 53-16 destruction of the Calgary Stampeders in Week 15, Edmonton sits tied atop the standings and has a very good case.
Edmonton has posted 13 wins six different times in franchise history, while winning 14 or more games in only three seasons. This year’s squad currently sits at 10-3 while riding a four-game winning streak, putting either of those win totals within reach.
So, what makes this the team to beat in 2026 and the best team in Edmonton since their 2015 Grey Cup-winning squad? Or perhaps even their best team since the dynasty back in the late 70s and early 80s? It all starts with a physicality on both sides of the ball that very few teams north of the border can match.
The defence has been the calling card this season as the league’s arguably No. 1 unit resides in Edmonton. All three levels feature an intersection of talent and physicality, with the likes of defensive backs Kordell Jackson (the league leader in forced fumbles and pass knockdowns), Terez Reid, and Kenneth Logan Jr., as well as linebackers Nick Anderson and Joel Dublanko flying around and not missing often.
Then on the outside, you have a corner duo that forces even more turnovers: interceptions leader Tyrell Ford (six) and JJ Ross, who has three picks himself on the opposite side.
Combine all that with a stout front that features sack artists Noah Taylor (eight) and Malik Carney (five), as well as the physical presence of Jared Brinkman and Jordan Williams on the interior, and it’s a defence that doesn’t really have a weakness, hits hard, and gets the ball back to the offence.
On the other side of the ball, the team had been searching for a pivot since Michael Reilly departed at the end of the 2018 season, and Cody Fajardo has fit the bill perfectly since he arrived.
The 2023 Grey Cup MVP is as consistent as they come, is as tough as they come, and while that star-studded defence turns the ball over, Fajardo is one of the best quarterbacks at taking care of it and maximizing possessions.
Around the pivot is the deepest, most talented, and most physical offensive line in years, led by Carter O’Donnell and David Beard; a receiver room that is tall and catches everything, led by 2023 All-CFL member Austin Mack; and a running back who can break off a 50-yard touchdown run in a blink of an eye in Justin Rankin.
A defence that turns the ball over and limits the points being put up against them, combined with an offence that doesn’t cough it up while being able to break off an explosive play at any given moment, is a recipe for success.
The Elks are one of two teams – including the Montreal Alouettes – to have a playoff berth clinched.
Montreal certainly has a case to make as the team to beat, given their stars on both sides of the ball. But right now, Edmonton is the team to beat. They’re the hottest team north of the border and are on track to be potentially one of the best teams in franchise history.
