Elks GM reaffirms coach's call to start Ford after bye week against Blue Bombers

Edmonton Elks quarterback Tre Ford (2) hands off to running back Javon Leake (22) during the first half of CFL football action against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina, on Saturday, August 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

Tre Ford, the Canadian quarterback seen as the catalyst to the Edmonton Elks miraculous turnaround this season, will once again be under centre when the team returns from its bye week.

The third-year signal-caller, who came into Saturday's 37-16 Elks victory over the Calgary Stampeders with four minutes left after starter McLeod Bethel-Thompson came out of the game with an injury, five weeks earlier had led Edmonton (5-8, fourth in CFL West) to its first win of the season in his first start of it.

• Download the CTV News App for breaking news alerts on all the top Edmonton stories

That triumph on the road over the Saskatchewan Roughriders ended the Elks' seven-game winless slide to start the 2024 Canadian Football League campaign.

Eight days later, however, Ford left Edmonton's eventual win over the B.C. Lions with a chest injury, with Bethel-Thompson taking over and leading the team to four more wins, including to its recent home-and-home sweep of the Stampeders for the first time in 20 years.

When asked who would start Sept. 21 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, interim head coach Jarious Jackson said following Saturday's win over Calgary that Ford would get the nod, adding "but the good part is we've got two guys who can get it done."

Interim general manager Geroy Simon, in a Wednesday availability with media, reaffirmed Jackson's call to go with Ford even though Bethel-Thompson — who sits second among CFL quarterbacks with 3,098 yards passing along with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 games — "will be fine," saying Ford brings certain qualities to the field.

Edmonton Elks quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson in action against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 28, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)"As the head coach, you have the decision on who to start and who to play," Simon told reporters.

"I do have some input, but it's only input, and he makes the decision on the roster ... We obviously have the utmost confidence in McLeod when he's on the field, but Tre just gives us a different dynamic and makes opponents have to study that much more and prepare that much harder to get ready for us."

The Blue Bombers, the CFL West Division champions the last four seasons and winners of the Grey Cup in 2019 and 2021, are coming off a home-and-home sweep of their own after gaining a share of first place in the West with B.C. after a 26-21 win Saturday over the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Winnipeg, too, started the 2024 season on a losing jag, dropping four in a row before a July 5 win over Ottawa. The Bombers now sport a record of 7-6.

Purdue quarterback Hudson Card throws during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Ohio State, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind. Ohio State won 41-7. (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)

Starting Purdue QB on Elks' negotiation list

He's currently a senior at Purdue, but quarterback Hudson Card now has a second option at a pro football career.

Card was one of 10 negotiation-list players revealed Wednesday by the Edmonton Elks. All nine CFL teams unveiled players Wednesday in the first of two revelations this year.

Card, a six-foot-three, 210-pound Texan, is in his second season at Purdue after starting his collegiate career at Texas. He completed 24-of-25 passes for 273 yards and four TDs in the Boilermakers' season-opening 49-0 victory over Indiana State on Aug. 31.

The Boilermakers (1-0) face No. 18 Notre Dame (1-1) on Saturday.

Card completed 215-of-365 passes (58.9 per cent) for 2,387 yards with 15 TDs and eight interceptions last season, starting all 11 games he appeared in.

Card also ran 93 times for 203 yards and five TDs. He finished the season ranked third in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (217) and completions per game (19.6).

CFL teams can have up to 45 players on their negotiation list, which gives them exclusive negotiating rights to those individuals should they decide to play in Canada.

Players can be added, or removed, at a team’s discretion on a first-come, first-serve basis. Clubs own exclusive rights to those players so long as they’re on a negotiation list.

Negotiation-list players are often a crapshoot for CFL teams as many never set foot in Canada. But the lists can bear fruit as Hamilton rookie quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa — the younger brother of Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — signed with the Ticats after being placed on their negotiation list.

And in 2018, Hamilton signed Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel after placing him on its negotiation list.

With files from The Canadian Press