Former Argonaut Edwards embracing fresh start with Tiger-Cats

As images of cascading blue and white confetti framed against the clear, dark Regina sky during the Toronto Argonauts’ 109th Grey Cup win become memories of the past, Chris Edwards is looking forward to making new ones as a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this season.

The Argonauts' home, BMO Field, is adored for its trademark cannon fire that catches even the most attentive fan off guard paired with the breezy lake effect that sways its 17 Grey Cup banners back and forth over the south end zone.

It is also a place rife with memories for the 30-year-old linebacker as he spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Double Blue following a stint with the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers in 2020.

Some of those memories are good, like helping the Argonauts win last season’s Eastern Final against the Montreal Alouettes 34-27 to punch their ticket to the Grey Cup.

Some are not, like when a post-game altercation with Tiger-Cats fans following the Argos’ 27-19 loss in the 2021 Eastern Final resulted in a six-game suspension.

The Canadian Football League and its Players' Association (CFLPA) later dropped the penalty to three games, and Edwards would play in 13 over the 2022 campaign, racking up 36 tackles, a pair of touchdowns and interceptions and a sack.

From Grey Cup champion to free agent in months, Edwards began to set his sights on where home would be for the 2023 season. And while he received an offer to remain an Argonaut, he opted to sign with their forever-rival Tiger-Cats for several reasons.

"Ed Hervey had been my GM before [Edwards and Hervey were members of the BC Lions in 2019] and he reached out to me during the free-agent process,” Edwards said. “I've always loved Hamilton, it's close to home."

Home for Edwards is Detroit, Mich. A city coined “Motor City” due to its rich automotive history that draws many similarities to Hamilton’s steel production in Edwards’ eyes. 

"It does have a Detroit feel. With the factories around here – we got a lot of factories at home – cars, steel; whatever it is. So it definitely is a familiar feel with the blue-collar town."

Once he did settle on Hamilton and the Tiger-Cats, that altercation in the past instantly became exactly that. He says that he could have handled that situation at BMO better and that he can't put that on the fans and feels this opportunity is a fresh start.

Having now been embraced by Ticat fans as well as the city, the opinion he once had of the two has drastically changed.

"I love the fans now," Edwards said. "Being when I was in Toronto, I used to hate the fans and I'm pretty sure they probably used to hate me, too, just as an opposing player due to the rivalry. But coming here, man, the fans are amazing.

"They definitely helped dictate the game in order to help us with momentum and make some noise for the offence so they can't hear the calls."

Tiger-Cats fans will bring their passion and decibels down the QEW to BMO for Sunday's meeting between the Argonauts and Tiger-Cats. A game that will see Edwards on the opposing sideline when the Boatmen unveil their CFL-record 18th banner.

"Seeing that banner, it's going to feel good knowing that I was a part of that. But now I'm over here. So I'm not really caring about the banner. I want to go in there and get a dub."

Edwards will be lining up against a plethora of familiar faces as the Argonauts’ offence entered the 2023 season relatively unchanged, the most notable difference being Chad Kelly's presence under centre.

"It definitely helps a lot," Edwards said on how much his experience with the Double Blue will help him come kickoff. "It's a new quarterback to these guys over here but I saw Chad every day at practice. I know a lot of his tendencies that I could help alert the team to."

Paired with Kelly's mobility is the one-two punch of A. J. Ouellette and Andrew Harris, whom Edwards says physicality is the key to stopping them where the black and blue helmets meet.

"It's just fighting fire with fire," Edwards said. "They try to get physical, we get physical back with them and see who lasts."