While it is a far cry from the capitalist behemoth that is the NFL, the CFL has a long history and a passionate fan base. Some college football fans seem to assume any regular starter on an FBS roster could make a go at it in Canada if they felt like it. The quality of players in the Canadian game has been a rude surprise to many foreign aspirants though. Due to league rules governing the number of American players that can a) be on any team’s roster and b) on the field for any given play, Americans tend to only stick on CFL rosters if they are seen as locks to start when healthy.
There are significant differences between the forms of the game played at different latitudes. A few of the most notable differences viewers may find:
The Canadian field is wider, 195 ft compared to 160 ft in the south. The end zones are also double sized, 20 yards deep, and the goal posts are on the goal line rather than the rear boundary.
Each team has 12 players on the field.
Forward motion is legal. Eligible receivers in the offensive backfield may run toward the LOS before the snap so long as they do not enter the neutral zone.
Defenders cannot line up within a yard of the line of scrimmage before the snap.
The offense has only 3 downs to gain ten yards, not 4.
Despite all these differences, at its core football is football. There are a number of Oregon alumni who have had very successful careers north of the border. Below is a summary of former Ducks currently listed on active CFL rosters. If you need an appetizer for the season, tune in some weekend and see them in action!
QB Vernon Adams Jr. - Calgary Stampeders
CFL: Canadian Football League-Calgary Stampeders at BC Lions Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
“Big Play VA” has started games in every CFL season since finishing his college career at Oregon in 2015. He began his career with Montreal but played the last two seasons in the Pacific Northwest as a starter for the British Columbia Lions (seen above). This year he has started the first four games of the season for Calgary.
WR Bralon Addison - Ottowa Redblacks
CFL: Canadian Football League-Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Ottawa Redblacks Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
A former favorite target of Adams, Addison spent a few years bouncing around NFL rosters before heading north in 2018. His most productive season was in 2019 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in which he had over 1200 yards receiving. Since then he has struggled with injuries, but is off to blistering start in 2025 with Ottowa. If he stays healthy, this could be his best season since Trudeau was PM*.
QB Jeremiah Masoli - British Columbia Lions
CFL: Canadian Football League 108th Grey Cup-Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Hamilton Tiger-Cats John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Masoli was a fixture with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (pictured) from 2013-2021, including Grey Cup Championship appearances in the 2019 and 2021 seasons. Despite this success he hasn’t played a full season since 2018, including the last three in Ottawa. He returned to the PNW in BC this year and has played in all five games for the Lions, though at the time of writing he is struggling with a 2-6 TD-INT ratio.
WR Dillon Mitchell - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
CFL: Canadian Football League-Edmonton Elks at BC Lions Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Mitchell spent 2022 - 2024 with the Edmonton Elks (pictured), posting solid numbers and playing every regular season game in 2023 and 2024. He signed with Winnipeg for 2025 but has been stuck on the injury list thus far.
OL George Moore - Toronto Argonauts
Syndication: Green Bay Press-Gazette Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK
After going undrafted in 2022, Moore bounced around a few practiced squads in the NFL (pictured) before finding active playing time in the XFL with Las Vegas and then Seattle. He found playing time harder to come by after the spring league merger and signed a practice squad contract with Toronto in 2024, making his CFL debut in the final game of the regular season. He has started at left tackle during the Argonauts 2025 campaign to date.
DB Bennett Williams - Ottawa Redblacks
NCAA Football: East West Shrine Bowl Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Seen above at the East-West Shrine Bowl, Williams signed a UDFA with the Dolphins in 2023 after exhausting his college eligibility. He was waived before the season began and signed with Ottawa in the spring of 2024. After seeing the field in 11 games during the 2024 season he has played in each of the Redblacks’ first four games in 2025.
* Yes, I know this is a silly statement since the elections were in March. But did you?