Stampeders Offence in 2026: The Skinny, the Starters, the Questions
The Calgary Stampeders are planning to go deep in the 2026 Canadian Football League season. Like Grey Cup-deep, that is. The offence believes it can help the mission to hoist the championship hardware on home field come November by throwing downfield more often in Year 2 of the team's revamped offensive era.
“I do think we’re best when we’re balanced,” said Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson, of an offensive attack that oozes both run and pass potential. “But we still need that big-play capability. I think it’s hard just to think you’re going to go six or eight yards each play.”
He’ll get no argument from his returning aerial weapons — the likes of QB Vernon Adams Jr. and receivers Jalen Philpot, Clark Barnes, Erik Brooks and Reggie Begelton. They want the big play in fashion as much as possible to both score and entertain, which they did in spades last year compared to previous CFL seasons, helping to turn around the franchise fortunes and put it in a position to be considered a Grey Cup contender. Only three teams scored more points than the Stampeders’ 488 and only the eventual Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders had more wins than the 11-7 Stampeders in 2025.
“We do always want to be better than what we put out as the product last year,” Philpot said. “Obviously, it wasn’t enough to get us to the game we wanted to play in, so I think we can always improve and build on stuff. But I think this offence is continuing to just want to be a deep-field threat offence. I feel like my early years coming here, we weren’t necessarily that team that pushed the ball down the field as much, and I think we really did a good job last year of having explosive plays but also establishing the run and being a very all-around team — run the ball well, throw the ball downfield when we can. So I think just continue to find kind of what works for us and just have that balance.”
In other words, more of the same is what the Stamps want when they possess the pigskin — with fewer turnovers, demands Dickenson — beginning with the season-opener Friday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium.
Who Are the Projected Starters?
Here’s what the offence looks like when healthy (with injury replacements in parentheses):
- Quarterback — Vernon Adams Jr.
- Running back — Dedrick Mills
- Left tackle — D’Antne Demery
- Left guard — Zack Williams
- Centre — Bryce Bell (Chris Fortin)
- Right guard — Christy Nkanu
- Right tackle — Preston Nichols (William Barnes)
- Wide receiver — Clark Barnes (Tevin Jones)
- Slot receiver — Jalen Philpot
- Slot receiver — Reggie Begelton (Erik Brooks)
- Wide receiver — Dejon Brissett
Who’s In? Who’s Out?
In — QB Ben Wooldridge, RB Tyreik McAllister, RB Deonta McMahon, OL Bakyne Coly, OL Matthew Stokman, WR Dejon Brissett, WR Jeremiah Hunter, WR Jesulayomi Ojutalayo, WR Rashod Owens, WR Matt Sibley.
Out — No key departures listed; the team brings back most of its core.
