Edmonton Elks Rolling with MBT as Starting Quarterback
The quarterback carousel continues to be a never-ending cycle of change as the Edmonton Elks are going back to their original starter.
TSN’s Farhan Lalji reported Tuesday that McLeod Bethel-Thompson will start in place of Tre Ford in Week 17.
Ford struggled in the 27-14 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last week as he threw for 131 yards and one touchdown to two interceptions. Bethel-Thompson replaced him for the rest of the game.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson is expected to start at QB this week in the #Elks rematch vs #Bombers
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) September 24, 2024
Justin Rankin expected to start at RB. @SportsCentre pic.twitter.com/DFF1hfKRbw
The Elks lost the first seven games of the regular season with Bethel-Thompson before the team made a change to Ford, and they rattled off two straight wins before Ford’s rib injury. Bethel-Thompson retook the job and kept the winning going, with three of his next four starts ending in victory.
Bethel-Thompson is third in the CFL in passing yards (3,146) and second in passing touchdowns (19). Ford has thrown for 604 yards with six majors and three interceptions, adding 92 rushing yards on 14 carries.
This has been a topic of conversation dating back to last year as the Elks have flip-flopped on Ford starting at quarterback. One game against the best defense in the CFL was enough for Edmonton to turn to their veteran quarterback for at least one game. It’s a tale of two different styles of quarterbacks with Ford more of a mobile, throw-on-the-run guy, while Bethel-Thompson stays in the pocket.
On Friday, the 5-9 Elks will have another shot at revenge against the Bombers.
You can follow Anthony Miller on X @ByAnthonyMiller.
Catch up with CFL on SI.com on Facebook and X.
