Signing Bethel-Thompson move to strengthen Elks QB situation now, long-term: GM

Toronto Argonauts quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson throws a pass against the B.C. Lions on Oct. 30, 2021. (Evan Buhler/The Canadian Press)

It's a move for now and for the future, say the Edmonton Elks.

Chris Jones, the Canadian Football League team's general manager and head coach, said Monday signing McLeod Bethel-Thompson to be their starting quarterback — coming off a season when Tre Ford took the reins and showed promise in leading them to their four victories in 2023 — is a move to strengthen the position for 2024 and beyond.

"Tre Ford is in our plans," Jones said during a conference call with media. "McLeod's our guy, and we're going to develop the heck out of Tre the next years."

News of the Elks signing Bethel-Thompson was first announced on social media by TSN insider Farhan Lalji on Friday and confirmed by the team on Sunday.

Ford, drafted by the Elks in 2022, climbed the Elks ranks this past season, rising from third-string status — in some early season games, he didn't even dress for action — to No. 1 by Week 10.

The 25-year-old then led Edmonton, who finished last in the CFL's West Division with a 4-14 record for a second straight season, to wins in four of their next five games, giving Elks fans at least two things they haven't experienced since the 2010s: a home-stadium victory and playoff hopes, albeit slim.

Ford finished 2023 with a 4-6 record as starter, completing 63.7 per cent of his passes for 2,069 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with six interceptions. He also collected 622 yards rushing, averaging 9.4 yards per carry, scoring three TDs on the ground.

Bethel-Thompson is coming back to the CFL after a season with the now-defunct New Orleans Breakers of the USFL. The 35-year-old is the former starting QB of the Toronto Argonauts, with whom he spent five seasons before departing for New Orleans. The San Francisco native has won the Grey Cup twice: in 2022 and in 2017, when he served as backup to former Edmonton star Ricky Ray.

Prior to coming north of the border — he spent a month of the 2016 CFL season on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' practice roster — Bethel-Thompson spent six years on the active and practice rosters on five different National Football League teams, never seeing game action

In 74 CFL games played, Bethel-Thompson has thrown for 13,261 yards, 70 TDs and 49 interceptions.

Bethel-Thompson said he was sold on joining the Elks over other unnamed suitors because of the roster, including what he called a "talented receiving corps" led by Geno Lewis, and working relationships he's had with members of the current Elks coaching staff, particularly offensive coordinator Jarious Jackson.

"He was a huge catalyst, probably the catalyst to kind of initiate this whole process because of our time in Toronto together," Bethel-Thompson said of Jackson.

"We've been really close and worked well with each other, and iron sharpens iron. We know that we can depend on each other, we can lean on each other, but we also can challenge each other, too ... Jarious knows he can coach me (very) hard, and he expects an elite-level player and I'm going to give him that on a down-in, down-out basis."

Bethel-Thompson said he spoke with Ford on Monday morning and expressed his desire to work with him to further develop his game.

Jones made mention of Ford's relative inexperience — "How many CIS games did he even play?" he said of the Niagara Falls, Ont., native's university career with Waterloo, with whom he starred as the starting QB in 2018, 2019 and 2021. "COVID was sandwiched in there in his career there. He's only had I would think 30 or less opportunities to start games in the CIS, so he's only going to get better" — when talking about the decision to sign Bethel-Thompson, who says he wants to "cultivate" a relationship with Ford "very purposely."

"You see the magic, you see what he can do off-script," Bethel-Thompson said.

"It's about me helping him build a script on a play-to-play basis so he has something to fall back to, and a process to go through what to play in, play out bases. And then when things do break down, he can do his magic and do the off-script stuff at a high level."