It was a less-than-ideal 2025 for the Toronto Argonauts, as they dropped back down to earth and missed the playoffs after making the postseason every year post-pandemic.
Five wins was uncharacteristic for a team that had won two of the past three Grey Cups, but the franchise has put the cast of characters back together from their championship teams in hopes of returning to the top of the East.
The offence’s stars are back healthy and there’s been an influx of talent added to the defence, but there are some things working against the Argonauts. The team will miss a handful of home games because of the World Cup, and will be heading into the season with a virtually totally new coaching staff, led by head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Miller, who was promoted after serving as the team’s quarterback coach since 2022.
Let’s see how the Argonauts stack up heading into 2026.
Offence
The conversation starts with quarterback Chad Kelly, who is back and healthy after missing the 2025 season following a broken leg suffered in the 2024 East Final.
The Argonauts will hope Kelly can return to form before the injury, when he captured the Most Outstanding Player award in 2023, averaged the second-most passing yards per game (272.3) in nine games in 2024, and boasts a 25-4 record as a starter.
He’ll get to continue to work with Miller who has been coaching him his entire CFL career, and if the 32-year-old does return to his old ways, it significantly raises this team’s ceiling.
One of the biggest problem areas in 2025 was the offensive line, and Toronto has made a significant investment up front after allowing the most sacks last season (56) to help keep Kelly upright.
It’s a totally revamped unit with only one returning starter from last season in Ryan Hunter, and he’ll be in a new position by kicking inside after starting at tackle last season. The former Most Outstanding Linemen is back healthy to lead the group after missing games last season after being hit by a car.
Joining the North Bay, Ont. native on the interior are fellow Canadians in former Division all-star Peter Nicastro at centre and former first-round pick Dakoda Shepley at right guard, who’s back north of the border following a five-year NFL stint.
American rookie Desmond Bland won the battle to start at left tackle, while the team signed Kendall Randolph, who was released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during their cuts after making all 18 starts at right tackle in 2025 and posting the ninth-best pressure rate allowed among tackles last season.
It’s a group that will look to get more push in the run game too, as along with a new-look backfield, will try to improve on what was a league-low rushing attack in 2025.
The team posted the fewest rushing yards per game (51.6) by far, nearly 40 yards less per contest than the eighth place Montreal Alouettes. Toronto called the least amount of rushing plays by far as well (22.8 per cent), as the team had no semblance of a run game till late in the year.
Qualan Jones and Samuel Hicks lead the new-look backfield and snag the majority of carries in a thunder and lightning tandem. Jones brings the boom as a north-south runner at 5-foot-10 and 240-pounds, while Hicks adds a more dynamic and speed element as a smaller back.
It will be interesting to see how Miller will call the offence, as the team surely won’t pass the ball over 77 per cent once again, but it remains to be seen just how much of a run game will be established.
If Toronto is a heavy-throwing team once again, it’s a group of receivers that can handle the burden led by Damonte Coxie and Makai Polk.
The former is back healthy after missing the final eight games of the season after a fantastic start (finished second in yards per game with 85.4), while the latter will be with Toronto from the jump after joining back late in 2025 following a stint in the NFL.
Rounding out the core are Canadians in Kevin Mital and David Ungerer III, who are both some of the better checkdown options in the CFL, while Jake Herslow returns in a lessened role after a career year in 2025.
It’s a unit that has a lot of upside, and if everything clicks with Miller at the controls, a healthy Kelly, and an improved offensive line and run game, it’s an offence that has potential to be among the league’s best.
Defence
Greg Quick is in as defensive coordinator. The 69-year-old joins Toronto’s staff after holding various roles with the Montreal Alouettes over the past five years, while being a one-time defensive play caller, managing the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ unit in 2015.
He’ll look to bring a similar attacking, masquerading style to what has been seen in Montreal with Noel Thorpe, and he’ll have an amazing front seven to work with.
Beginning up front and in the interior, where tackles Ralph Holley and DeWayne Hendrix are back in the double blue. Alongside defensive backs Adarius Pickett, DaShaun Amos, and Robert Priester, this is the group that returns to Toronto after finding success previously.
The front is no joke, which will be led by Holley, who returns following a stint in the NFL after. The 27-year-old is one of the best interior pass rushers in the CFL, tying for the league lead in sacks (eight) and chipping in 22 tackles in 16 games when he last played in 2024. Hendrix is a veteran whose best years came in an Argonaut uniform, while Soane Toia has flashed in training camp in pre-season.
They’ll be joined by Andrew Chatfield Jr. on the edge, who had a breakout season in 2025 after finishing fifth in pressures (56) and pressure rate (12.4), eighth in sacks (seven), and second in tackles among linemen (42). Along with Canadians Jonathan Kongbo, Paris Shand, and Jeremiah Ojo manning the other edge, it’s a group that can get after the quarterback.
Quick, who specializes in coaching linebackers, will have fun with the group that will fill in gaps behind the line in the aforementioned party starter Pickett, athletic veteran National Cam Judge, and first-year full-time starter Isaac Darkangelo.
It’s a group that will have to deal with the loss of Wynton McManis’ run stuffing ability, but Pickett brings some of the best run defending ability from the nickel spot in the league. The 29-year-old’s best year as a pro came in his lone season with the Argonauts in 2023, where he put up the second most total tackles (124) and the third most sacks by a non-lineman (six). Pickett also has familiarity with Quick, having crossed paths in Montreal for two years, in 2021 and 2022.
Darkangelo steps into the MAC spot after logging nearly 1,000 snaps over the past two seasons while defending the run well, while the 31-year-old Judge returns after stuffing the stat sheet in 2025 after finishing near the top of the league in total defensive plays (100).
The front seven should cause more havoc for opposing offences in 2026, especially with Quick at the helm. Look for Toronto to improve on its 41 sacks (fourth) and 28 tackles for loss (fifth) from a year ago.
The secondary will need to be better, as Toronto allowed the highest opponent completion percentage (72.3 per cent), the most big plays (59), and the most completions of 30 plus yards (39) in 2025.
Tarvarus McFadden and Benjie Franklin return on the corners, while American safety Derek Slywka slots back in at safety as well. The change comes at the halfback spots where Amos and Priester take their familiar spots. With some new but at the same time old blood in the secondary plus what should be an improved pass rush, the pass defence could look much better.
It’s overall a team that has a “same but different” feeling to it in 2026, with so many changes that are filled with familiar faces from the head coach down. While a lot has to break right, the team has high upside. If they reach their potential, they could be back competing for Grey Cups as soon as 2026.
