5 Biggest Questions Entering 2024 CFL Season
The 2023 CFL season was filled with surprises, along with the standard twists and turns. The Montreal Alouettes went from being least likely to win the Grey Cup to taking the crown. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers went to its fourth-straight Grey Cup. The Toronto Argonauts had a franchise record 16-2 finish to the regular season, but didn’t make the title game.
There are plenty of questions and uncertainty surrounding the league entering the 2024 season that will surely bring intrigue on and off the field. Here are the five biggest questions going into the new season.
Five Biggest Questions for 2024 CFL Season
1. Can the Montreal Alouettes Duplicate Their Success?
Their story is one of legend as the Montreal Alouettes were ranked last in the power rankings entering 2023 with a new head coach and an “aging” quarterback. They silenced the critics with an improbable Grey Cup title, shocking all of Canada. Now for the real question: can this team repeat as champions?
They brought the band back together for the most part and look to fit the part of a playoff team. Repeating as champions might be tougher to do, but the Alouettes proved last year that anything is possible.
2. Will Tre Ford Be Traded After McLeod Bethel-Thompson Signing?
Many questioned Edmonton Elks head coach Chris Jones and how he was not using quarterback Tre Ford to his full potential and let him play. Ford finished the year as the starter and showed why he is one of the most electric players in the league.
Something that people didn’t see coming was Edmonton signing McLeod Bethel-Thompson to be the starting quarterback for the 2024 season. This leaves uncertainty in the air for what it means for Ford. Will he get traded to another team or will the Elks hold on to him to be the future franchise quarterback?
3. Will Expansion Finally be Settled?
For years the CFL has been discussing the idea of expanding the league from nine teams to 10 teams. Halifax and Quebec City have been the two biggest names brought up to get that tenth team.
Commissioner Randy Ambrosie has spoken extensively about expansion over the offseason and wanting to put a timeline on when a decision will be made. Will 2024 be the year fans finally get the tenth team they have wanted?
4. How Will the Toronto Argonauts Look Without Chad Kelly?
Toronto has consistently been one of the best teams in the league over the last three seasons, winning the Grey Cup just two seasons ago. The expectations for the Argos going into the offseason was high before they lost key pieces like defender Adarius Pickett, running back A.J. Ouellette, returner Javon Leake and defensive coordinator Corey Mace.
The biggest loss was starting quarterback Chad Kelly, who is suspended for the first nine games of the season due to violating gender violence policy. It appears that Cameron Dukes will be the starter, leaving many to wonder how good Toronto will be or if the team will take a major step back.
5. Can BC Lions Move Past Winnipeg Blue Bombers in West Division?
The BC Lions have been one of the most explosive offensives in the league, finishing with a 12-6 overall record each of the last two years. One major obstacle for the team is that they have lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Division Final two years in a row.
With the clock ticking on star players like quarterback Vernon Adams, BC is in win-now mode as they need to take the next step. Winnipeg didn’t lose too much of a step this offseason as the West could be decided by the two teams once again.
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ANTHONY MILLER