Jake Maier named Ottawa Redblacks starting quarterback for Week 1
Jake Maier named Ottawa Redblacks starting quarterback for Week 1 vs. Edmonton; coach Ryan Dinwiddie confirmed the June 6, 2026 start after preseason play.
The Ottawa Redblacks have named Jake Maier their starting quarterback, coach Ryan Dinwiddie announced Thursday, May 28, 2026. Maier will be the Ottawa Redblacks starting quarterback for the club’s season opener against the Edmonton Elks on June 6, 2026. The decision ends a training-camp competition with incumbent Dru Brown and sets the club’s offensive direction heading into the regular season.
Maier confirmed as Week 1 starter
Dinwiddie told reporters the club settled on Maier and made the choice public immediately. “Jake’s going to be our starter moving forward,” the coach said after informing both quarterbacks of the decision several days earlier. The announcement was posted on the team’s social channels and communicated directly to the players and staff on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Coaching rationale and timing
The head coach said the decision was reached late in camp to give both players a fair opportunity and to allow Maier time to prepare with the first group. Dinwiddie indicated he told both quarterbacks about four days before the public announcement, noting the team did not want to delay letting Maier settle into the role. The timing aims to provide clarity to the offence with the regular season less than two weeks away.
Preseason performance and immediate outlook
Maier’s first-preseason appearance was a key factor, when he completed 10 of 14 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Montreal. Those numbers and his command of the offence in that outing helped push him ahead of Brown, who did not play in that preseason game. Maier is scheduled to work with the starting unit in the Redblacks’ preseason finale on Friday, May 29, 2026, a final tune-up before the June 6 opener.
Dru Brown’s role and recent history
Dru Brown, 29, earned the starting job in 2023 and led Ottawa to the playoffs in his first season as the primary starter. His trajectory was interrupted last season by injuries that forced him out for roughly half the schedule, and he finished with a 2-7 record as a starter in limited opportunities. The team has not ruled out Brown remaining with the roster as a backup or competing again in the future, but for now Maier holds the Week 1 responsibilities.
Maier’s CFL résumé and recent stops
Maier, also 29, arrives in Ottawa after a multi-year run as Calgary’s starter before moving on to Saskatchewan as Trevor Harris’s backup last season. He started two games with the Roughriders and registered a 1-1 record this past year while serving as the veteran backup on a Grey Cup-winning roster. Ottawa acquired Maier in the off-season with the intention of bolstering depth and bringing a quarterback who has both starting experience and familiarity with CFL game plans.
What to expect in the opener against Edmonton
The Redblacks will open at home on June 6, 2026 against the visiting Edmonton Elks, a matchup that will provide Maier his first regular-season test in Ottawa. Maier praised camp work and called the upcoming practices and preseason finale “a good opportunity for us as a full group” to build cohesion. Coaching staff emphasize quick integration of play-calling cadence and timing with receivers as priorities in the next practices.
The decision gives Ottawa a clear plan at its most important position and allows the coaching staff to tailor game preparations around Maier’s strengths. The team will evaluate health, protection and receiver chemistry through the May 29 preseason finale and the final week of preparations before the regular-season opener.
Ottawa’s quarterbacks room will now shift toward supporting Maier while keeping Brown ready to contribute if needed, and the organization expects the next two weeks to determine how the offence shapes up under its new starter.
