2025 CFL West Division Preview and Betting Odds: Can Nathan Rourke return to form?

The CFL’s West Division has at least three teams that could contend for the Grey Cup in 2025, but it won’t be an easy path forward.

Let’s take a look at each West Division team heading into the new season.

BC Lions

With Vernon Adams Jr. traded to Calgary, this is officially Nathan Rourke’s team. Following a brief stint chasing a job in the NFL, Rourke never clicked after joining the Lions midway through last season, but he’s had a full off-season to return to the form that saw him dominate the CFL in 2022.

BC is banking on new head coach Buck Pierce unlocking Rourke’s full potential. Pierce, the former offensive coordinator of an elite unit in Winnipeg, will have plenty of weapons at his disposal with Rourke, receiver Justin McInnis and running back James Butler.

Rourke looked great in the pre-season. If he can replicate the form he had in 2022, the Lions will challenge for the Grey Cup.

Calgary Stampeders

Calgary finished a league-worst 5-12-1 last season. They managed to upgrade at quarterback with the addition of Vernon Adams Jr., but there’s only so much he can do if the weak O-line in front of him can’t provide protection.

The Stamps also added receiver Dominique Rhymes and linebacker Derrick Moncrief through free agency, but they still have one of the weakest rosters in the CFL on paper and there’s not a lot of hope they can come close to being a .500 team.

Calgary has the lowest projected win total in the league and they still might fall short of that number.

Edmonton Elks

Edmonton had a nightmare start to last season with seven straight losses, but new owner Larry Thompson has put the team in a position for a much better start in 2025. New head coach Mark Kilam and new GM Ed Hervey are rolling the dice on Tre Ford as their starting quarterback, while they also landed his twin brother, defensive back Tyrell Ford, as a top free agent.

The Elks are arguably the most improved team in the league on paper. In addition to Tyrell Ford, they made multiple upgrades on defence, including picking up Jake Ceresna, Robbie Smith and Jared Brinkman from the Argos Grey Cup championship pass-rush.

After two years on the low end of the depth chart, Ford is now QB1, but he won’t have much room for error with veteran pivot Cody Fajardo backing him up.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Roughriders were decimated with injuries last season, but still managed to win a playoff game. It’s largely the same roster returning in 2025, led by quarterback Trevor Harris, who will have solid receiving targets in Samuel Emilus, KeeSean Johnson and Kian Schaffer-Baker. Running back AJ Ouellette completes the attack.

Defensive back Rolan Milligan led the league with eight interceptions last season, and like the offence, the defence has largely remained unchanged. It’s a gamble to rely on the health of a 39-year-old quarterback, but the pieces are there for this team to win.

Health is the biggest factor for Saskatchewan and that makes them the most unpredictable team heading into the season.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Two-time MOP quarterback Zach Collaros will be suspended for the first game of the season, but the bigger question is how the offence will deal with the loss of receivers Kenny Lawler, Ontaria Wilson and Drew Wolitarsky in free agency.

Luckily, while the Bombers try to develop some receiving chemistry, they can rely on star running back Brady Oliveira, last year’s Most Outstanding Player, to carry the load. They’ll also have veteran defensive end Willie Jefferson leading on the other side of the ball, although the team opted to move on from Adam Bighill.

Winnipeg has reached the Grey Cup in five straight seasons, but have lost the last three. The path through the West will much tougher as they look for redemption in 2025.