Canadian Tre Ford gets start for Ticats versus Toronto Argonauts

HAMILTON – As a backup quarterback, Canadian Tre Ford is used to making do with mental reps during practice.

So being forced to do so this week due to air-quality issues doesn’t bother Ford, who’ll make his first start for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-3) versus the Toronto Argonauts (2-3) on Saturday night.

“I think obviously any quarterback that’s played in the CFL has benefited from (taking) mental reps and waiting to start,” Ford told reporters Friday. “Especially in the newer day and age of the CFL, definitely, you start as a backup and then become a starter and I think it’s definitely beneficial.”

Ford, 28, of Niagara Falls, Ont., will make his 24th career CFL start. But the previous 23 were with the Edmonton Elks, where the former Hec Crighton Trophy winner began his pro career in 2022.

The six-foot, 192-pound Ford joined Hamilton as a free agent this off-season and has completed eight-of-13 passes for 59 yards with an interception in spot duty with the club. The Niagara Falls, Ont., native served as Jake Dolegala’s backup in last week’s 38-7 road loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Ticats’ first game without star quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell.

Mitchell, 36, suffered an ankle injury in Hamilton’s 14-13 home loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 5 that required surgery. 

The six-foot-seven, 242-pound Dolegala was 17-of-30 passing for 122 yards and one interception versus Saskatchewan while rushing eight times for 33 yards. Ford saw late action, completing five-of-six passes for 47 yards and rushing twice for 24 yards.

Both Ford and Dolegala took snaps against Winnipeg following Mitchell’s injury. Ford finished three-of-seven passing for 12 yards with an interception while Dolegala had no completions in his two attempts.

“Just looking for a spark,” Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich said regarding the change. “It’s no blame on Jake.

“Obviously Tre has a different skill set that we’re looking forward to trying to utilize this week.”

Ford is 10-13 as a CFL starter, having completed 367-of-547 passes (67.1 per cent) for 4,710 yards with 29 TDs and 20 interceptions. But he has also run 128 times for 1,176 yards (9.2-yard average) and four touchdowns.

Ford’s mobility can give opposing defences fits. But it also means Hamilton’s receivers must sometimes adjust on the fly.

“(Ford) can escape the pocket,” Milanovich said. “And we’ve got to kind of join the party if we’re away from where he’s rotating or rolling.”

The good news for the Ticats is they could practise outdoors Friday. Granted, it was just a walk-through, but all of their other sessions were indoors due to poor air quality.

Toronto held its walk-through Friday indoors at Guelph, Ont., due to the air quality.

But Ford downplayed the impact of not having full, traditional practices under his belt before Saturday’s game.

“There’s always a little bit more tempo, a little more energy on game day … it’s definitely a different feeling,” he said. “We have experienced guys who’ve played football so those timing things, I think, it’s going to take maybe a little bit to figure out but I think we’re going to figure it out pretty fast.”

Veteran Hamilton linebacker Wynton McManis will face his former team for the first time. McManis helped Toronto win two Grey Cups over his four seasons there before joining the Ticats in the off-season. He has 10 tackles and an interception in two games.

Both the CFL and CFLPA continue to monitor the situation in Hamilton. Should the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI+) reach eight or higher either during the warm-up or the actual game, both teams will be sent to their dressing room until the situation improves. 

However, with wind gusts up to 53 kilometres an hour and a 90 per cent chance of afternoon rain in Saturday’s forecast, there’s optimism regarding game-day conditions.

Toronto will be without returner/receiver Janarion Grant (knee) and punter John Haggerty (hamstring) Saturday while Canadian linebacker Cameron Judge (head/hamstring) will miss a second straight start. Grant has 18 punt returns for 271 yards and one touchdown and 15 kickoff returns for 348 yards and stands third in CFL history with 13 career return TDs.

Haggerty leads the league in punting (52-yard average) and net (40.8). Global James Burnip, acquired recently from Ottawa, will replace Haggerty.

Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly leads the CFL in passing (1,804 yards) and is tied for tops with 14 TD strikes. He also boasts a 4-2 record versus Hamilton.

Receiver Makai Polk has 10 catches for 196 yards and three TDs in his last two games. Rookie Tyler Kahmann has five touchdown grabs in as many career CFL games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2026.