It felt like it was only a matter of time before CFL teams would be hit by quarterbacking concerns.
After four weeks of good health and historically strong play for the most important position on the field in many spots across the league, trouble started to emerge last week.
As a result, at least three teams are facing questions at QB heading into Week 6.
Here's a look at the situations for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Ottawa Redblacks:
Ticats turn to Dolegala
Disaster struck for Hamilton last week in the third quarter when Bo Levi Mitchell suffered a serious ankle injury when he was sacked by Jake Ceresna of the Blue Bombers.
Mitchell was transported by ambulance to hospital and underwent surgery earlier this week. There's a good chance he's gone for the season.
It's horrible news for a Ticats team on the longest Grey Cup drought in the league, having not won since 1999. Mitchell, 36, was playing perhaps the best football of his career, seemingly getting better with age.
After Jake Dolegala and fleet-footed Canadian Tre Ford split time following Mitchell's injury in a 14-13 loss, Ticats head coach Scott Milanovich announced Wednesday that Dolegala would start Sunday's road game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
"He just has more experience with what we're doing right now," Milanovich said of the Buffalo-born Dolegala, who joined the Ticats last year. "My hope when we brought Tre in was that he could kind of learn from Bo for a year and if Bo chose to retire — I know there was talk of that last season — that he'd be ready to compete next year."
The six-foot-seven Dolegala has made 11 career starts, including 10 for Saskatchewan in his first two years in the league in 2022 and '23. He guided the Roughriders to two big upsets over the B.C. Lions and Blue Bombers in 2023 to improve the team's record to 6-5 before Saskatchewan faltered badly down the stretch.
"There's a lot of responsibility on (his) shoulders," Dolegala told reporters Wednesday. "Obviously, Bo is having a heck of a year and I want to continue that for this team, this organization. Mentally, I've just got to go out there and stay within myself. Don't try to be a hero. Do my thing."
The Ticats brought in veteran Jarret Doege as a third QB this week and 3DownNation reported they are negotiating to bring back UFL QB Harrison Frost, a former Ticat.
If Dolegala doesn't perform well, the Ticats are giving themselves other options.
Familiar face for Bombers?
Blue Bombers star QB Zach Collaros also left the game in Hamilton last Sunday when he suffered a neck injury on a sack in the second quarter.
On Thursday, he was ruled out for Friday's game against the Toronto Argonauts in Winnipeg. Collaros, 37, has a history of neck and head injuries, so his future beyond Friday is a little unclear.
Canadian rookie Taylor Elgersma replaced Collaros and got the win, with Winnipeg keeping things simple on offence and relying heavily on bruising running back Brady Oliveira.
This week, there's been a sense that former Blue Bomber Dru Brown could get the start.
Brown was acquired in a trade with Ottawa the previous week after he lost the Redblacks' starting job to Jake Maier at the start of the season.
Brown didn't dress last week, but figures to be ready for action Friday if required.
It's not an easy task with the Bombers on a short week.
"Besides crazy and hard is a heightened awareness and the possibility of greatness," Blue Bombers coach Mike O'Shea told reporters Wednesday when asked about the challenge. "That's what you get. ... At times like these, you end up with some great stories."
Maier under pressure
With the Redblacks the league's only winless team at 0-4, new head coach Ryan Dinwiddie won't hesitate to make changes.
While Maier will start again Thursday in Edmonton against the Elks, veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson got his first nearly full week of practice after signing with Ottawa following the trade of Brown.
“I wouldn’t say short leash,” Dinwiddie told reporters Monday. “We’ve got to start winning ball games, and if I feel like it’s the quarterback play that is costing us, we’ll make that switch. I think Jake has some plays he wants back in any game, but I think we’re making it too hard on the quarterback a bit, because we’re not doing the other little things."
Bethel-Thompson won a Grey Cup with Dinwiddie in Toronto in 2022, while Maier never has found consistent success as a starter in the league.
Week 6 games
Ottawa Redblacks (0-4) at Edmonton Elks (3-1), Thursday, 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT
Elks star running back Justin Rankin had 196 combined yards in a 29-21 win in Ottawa in Week 1. Rankin was held to 19 rushing yards in Edmonton's first loss of the season last week in B.C. The Redblacks, meanwhile, are one loss away from tying a franchise record with an 11th defeat in a row dating back to last year.
Toronto Argonauts (2-2) at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-2), Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. CT
Ceresna, a former Argo, leads the league with four sacks. He'll try to make things difficult for former teammate and 2026 CFL passing leader Chad Kelly.
Calgary Stampeders (2-2) at Montreal Alouettes (3-1), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
Stamps quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. returns to the place where he started his CFL career after throwing for six touchdowns and running for one last week in a 58-point explosion against Toronto. It's also the third career game between Als star receiver Tyson Philpot and his twin brother Jalen, an important receiver for the Stamps.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-2) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-1), Sunday, 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. ST
It's the 200th career game for Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris. The 40-year-old Harris is up against the league's top defence.
