Edmonton Elks Pursuing QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson
One of the most intriguing storylines entering the CFL offseason is where former Toronto Argonauts quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson could land. It appears there is at least one team interested in his services.
Sources told 3Down Nation’s Justin Dunk that the Edmonton Elks are pursuing Bethel-Thompson in the hopes of signing him for the 2024 season.
In November, it was reported the former CFL quarterback was looking to get back into the league. Bethel-Thompson spent 2023 in the United States playing for the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL to be closer to his family.
He led the league in passing yards with 2,433 yards, adding 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Breakers made the playoffs before losing to the eventual USFL champion Birmingham Stallions.
After years of bouncing around in arena football, the UFL and NFL, Bethel-Thompson signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2016 on their practice roster. He landed with the Argos in 2017, where he played backup quarterback before getting his shot as a starter in 2018.
There was a slow build for Bethel-Thompson to become one of the CFL’s best quarterbacks. He hit his stride in 2019 where he led the league in passing touchdowns with 26. In 2022, he led Toronto to a Grey Cup title.
His career stats in the CFL include 13,261 passing yards and 70 touchdowns in five seasons. He was named CFL East All-Star twice in 2021 and 2022.
Other teams that could show interest in Bethel-Thompson include the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Calgary Stampeders, Ottawa Redblacks and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Should he sign with the Elks, he will have to compete with Canadian quarterback Tre Ford for the starting job. Ford has been highly regarded as one of the most exciting players in the CFL after producing 2,069 passing yards and 622 rushing yards with 15 total touchdowns in 2023.
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Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.