As the 2025 season approaches, CFL.ca is here to catch you up with the 5 Things To Know series. Each article will look at key storylines facing each team this season, while examining off-season movement and where your team might stand in 2025.
For the third time in eight years the Toronto Argonauts are your defending Grey Cup champions.
I’d like to give a quick salute to general manager Pinball Clemons, who has done more winning in the city of Toronto in every capacity than any other athlete in the history of Toronto sports.
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This off-season has been a typical one for Toronto, filled with dramatic roster changes, but there is more than enough star power on this roster to stave off all Grey Cup challengers.
Here are the five biggest storylines surrounding the champs as we inch closer to the start of the 2025 season.
YOU WILL NOT FIND A BETTER QUARTERBACK ROOM IN THE CFL
NICK ARBUCKLE HAS ANOTHER!
The @TorontoArgos increase their lead, Dejon Brissett on the receiving end of Arbuckle’s second major!#GreyCup LIVE on TSN, CTV, RDS & CBSSN
📱: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/WhFzp3fbK8— CFL (@CFL) November 18, 2024
I’m sure this will get some major pushback across the country, but find me another team that has both the 2023 Most Outstanding Player and the 2024 Grey Cup MVP on their roster.
The last time we saw Chad Kelly play a full game he was lights out in the Eastern Semi-Final, picking apart the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ defence with a ridiculous stat line of 358 yards and four touchdowns, completing 18 of just 20 pass attempts. It looked like a crazy Canada Day fireworks show without the scared dog under the bed with Kelly repeatedly burning defenders deep.
His injury in the Eastern Final against the Montreal Alouettes should have ended Toronto’s Grey Cup run but in stepped Nick Arbuckle, who pulled out a dramatic win and followed that up with a gutty performance in the 111th Grey Cup. Arbuckle’s presence means the team does not have to rush Kelly back from his injury.
Finally, Cameron Dukes is not a star, but he made seven starts last year, knows the system and is certainly overqualified as a third stringer.
HEY, WHERE DID ALL THE DEFENSIVE LINE GO?
Listen, I understand when you have a successful team boasting All-CFLers all over the field it will mean roster upheaval due to the salary cap with star players needing new contracts. That’s life in the world of sports.
But the exodus of talent from the Argos defensive line is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Gone are Robbie Smith (109th Grey Cup hero), Jake Ceresna (2024 All-CFL), Jared Brinkman, Ralph Holley (CFL co-leader in sacks) and Folarin Orimolade (2023 East Division All-CFL).
The additions of veteran tackles Anthony Lanier II and Bryan Cox Jr. will help lesson the damage, but the team is going to need some new faces step up for Toronto to repeat.
Keep an eye on former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Celestin Haba. If healthy, he’ll provide a consistent pass rush on the edge.
DAMONTE COXIE WILL FINISH THE YEAR AS A TOP THREE RECEIVER
Damonte Coxie hauled in 860 yards and four touchdowns in 2024, his third season in Toronto (Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca)
I’m calling my shot early on this one.
If you are in a CFL Fantasy league, make sure to scoop up Damonte Coxie as often as you can. Coxie is entering his fourth year with the Argonauts and at the age of 27, he is hitting his prime as a receiver.
In 2023 he was the league’s most lethal weapon, averaging over 20 yards a reception. His numbers were down last year and much of that was due to Chad Kelly missing the first half of the season. It is not a coincidence that his best game of the regular season, Week 12 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders (five catches for 112 yards), also saw the return of Kelly.
The Eastern Final will always be remembered for Arbuckle’s heroics, but Toronto does not qualify for the Grey Cup without Coxie leading all receivers that day with five receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.
THE CAMERON JUDGE SEQUEL WILL BE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL
I promise not to do the whole ‘Empire Strikes Back’ is better than ‘Star Wars’ conversation (it is though) to bring up examples of where the second movie was better than the first to kick start this point.
In 2021, Argo fans were thrilled with the arrival of National linebacker Cameron Judge, who was coming off of an excellent season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. However, all positive expectations were dashed after a high ankle sprain limited him to eight games and he left for Calgary after a forgettable season.
Now, after three extremely healthy seasons with the Stampeders, Toronto traded for Judge and he’s back looking for redemption. There will be pressure on Judge to continue his productive ways as the player heading to Calgary in the trade is the always dangerous defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade.
CAN TORONTO WIN A PLAYOFF GAME IN 2025?
This may sound like an odd question considering they’ve won two of the last three Grey Cups, but Toronto does not exactly have a great playoff track record the year after winning it all.
Toronto’s fortunes since Doug Flutie led the Argos to a repeat Grey Cup win in 1997 have been less than stellar. In the five seasons since their 47-23 win over the Roughriders, Toronto has followed up post-season glory with either a first round loss or missing the playoffs entirely.
All eyes will fall on Pinball’s creation to see what sort of title defence they can muster.
