Nine days before the Ottawa Redblacks' 2026 season opener, and about 31 hours before their preseason finale at TD Place, Jake Maier was officially declared the team's new No. 1 quarterback. He replaces Dru Brown, who had been Ottawa's QB1 for the past two seasons.
Decision Announced After Strong Camp
Head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie announced the decision after Thursday's practice, saying he had informed both quarterbacks about four days prior. 'Jake's going to be our starter moving forward,' Dinwiddie said. 'I told Dru and Jake that about four days ago, and just wanted to get Jake going. We feel like he's the starting quarterback. Let's not wait to announce it.'
Maier, 29, started 45 games over four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders (2021-24) and two more with the Saskatchewan Roughriders last year. He signed as a free agent with the Redblacks in February. The Californian made an impressive debut in last week's 27-12 preseason opener in Montreal, completing 10 of 14 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns while playing the first quarter and one drive into the second.
Dinwiddie Praises Maier's Offseason Work
'Jake's had a good camp,' Dinwiddie said. 'Obviously, he solidified (the spot) a little bit last week. I thought he played well against Montreal's one unit. I think he's throwing the football well. He's moving better than he has in the past. He did a great job this offseason, really training his body. We need to get him some more reps with the (first team offence), so that was our decision.'
Brown has shown flashes of brilliance and strong leadership skills since moving to Ottawa from Winnipeg as a free agent in 2024. However, he has also struggled with injuries, starting only half of the team's games last season.
Dinwiddie on Difficult Decision
Dinwiddie acknowledged the difficulty in telling Brown he had been demoted. 'It's tough,' said Dinwiddie, a former QB himself. 'It's never easy to make that decision, and it's never easy to hear the decision. It's unfortunate that at the quarterback position, only one guy plays. I've been (a backup) before. It's not a good feeling, because now you're waiting for an injury or bad performance to get on the field.'
'He took it pretty well. Obviously disappointed, just as any competitor should be. But he's handling it like a pro. Jake's handling it like a pro, too. They're both working well together.'
Brown, who did not travel to Montreal last week, will get his first game action with Dinwiddie's offence when he replaces Maier at some point in Friday's exhibition. Any frustration he felt upon learning of his demotion was not evident when he met with the media four days later. 'I'm happy for Jake,' Brown said. 'He's a great player. I feel the same about myself. You leave it up to the head man to decide.'
