STEGALL DISHES ON 2021 CFL SEASON

By: Allan Ly
RP Show Intern

Everyone across Canada is circling their calendar for August 5th because that is the start of the new CFL season. 

CFL On TSN analyst Milt Stegall already has his favourite to win the Grey Cup for this upcoming CFL season. 

“I think [the Hamilton Tiger-Cats] are the favourite right now to not only go to the Grey Cup but win the Grey Cup,” Stegall said on Friday’s Rod Pedersen Show. 

The Canadian Football Hall of Famers and Blue Bombers legend made sure to add a caveat about the Tiger-Cats “it’s going to depend on their quarterback play.” 

The depth chart of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the 2021 CFL season has Jeremiah Masoli and Dane Evans as their first and second string quarterbacks according to CFL.ca article “Off-Season Depth Chart” . 

Stegall does not envy Hamilton Tiger-Cats Head Coach Orlondo Steinauer’s decision on who should start as he remarked: “Either one of those guys have shown in the past that they can be a starting quarterback.” 

Evans had a great 2019 season when he threw for 3754 yards and 21 touchdowns, while Masoli’s 2019 season was cut short because of a torn ACL in week 7. Masoli in the 2018 season performed excellently and he threw for 5209 yards and 28 touchdowns.  

What’s new about the upcoming CFL season is that there will not be pre-season games.

Some CFL teams like the Saskatchewan Roughriders will hold inter-squad scrimmages, and Stegall is not a fan of inter-squad scrimmages.  

“Inter-squad scrimmage, just don’t match up to preseason games.” 

Stegall elaborated further: “So it’s unfortunate because there may be some GMs or some head coaches who miss out on some good players because they didn’t get to see him in that game situation.” 

For Stegall, he talked from experience as a player where players look different from practice and come alive during an actual game. 

Whatever happens, Stegall remains optimistic with the CFL coaches and what decisions they have to make for their teams before the start of the season. 

“We don’t have those games, but hopefully, they are able to keep the best players based on what they see in Training Camp.” 

A team that Stegall thinks will have a hard time for this upcoming season is the Ottawa REDBLACKS.  

According to Stegall, they’ve got some young players coming in, and he hopes that the rough patch will be short.  

Another team that was discussed during the interview was the Saskatchewan Roughriders and their O-line.  

In Stegall’s opinion, if the Roughriders do not protect their star Quarterback Cody Fajardo, then they will have a hard season.  

“If [Cody Fajardo] is not on the field, then you are not going to have a shot… you have to have him on the field,” explained Stegall urgently.   

For the upcoming season, the Roughriders will be out with their star Offensive Guard in Brendon Labatte who won’t play in the forthcoming season. 

According to Leader-Post Columnist Murray McCormick, one of the reasons why Labatte opted out for this CFL season was to spend more time with his family. 

August 5th can not come here sooner because Canada is always better when you can tune in to watch the CFL. 

(Follow Allan Ly on Twitter @AllanTheIntern)