Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
Injuries play a key role in all sports but particularly professional football given the violent nature of the game. They can be the difference between pushing for the Grey Cup or missing the playoffs altogether.
3DownNation has taken the liberty of ranking all nine CFL teams based on how many injuries they sustained in 2025. The unit of “man games lost” is exactly what it sounds like — the number of games players were unable to play because they were injured. Healthy scratches do not count against this total even if the player(s) in question were placed on the one-game injured list (which is permitted under CFL rules).
These figures are not official, though they’ve been generated through independent tracking of official injury reports over the course of the 2025 season.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats — 138 man games lost
The Tabbies were without defenders TyJuan Garbutt, Luke Brubacher, Isaiah Bagnah, and Lawrence Woods III for most of the season, but were otherwise largely a picture of health. Bo Levi Mitchell, Kenny Lawler, Tim White, Kiondré Smith, and Shemar Bridges played every game, the team started only six different offensive linemen, and the six starters in the secondary missed a mere six combined matchups.
Montreal Alouettes — 147 man games lost
Standout defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson missed most of the season due to a knee injury he sustained late last year and Davis Alexander sat out 10 games due to a hamstring injury. Outside of those two key players, the Alouettes didn’t have many long-term injuries, though Travis Theis, Justin Lawrence, Nick Callender, Dylan Wynn, Dionté Ruffin, and Marc-Antoine Dequoy all missed stints around a month long.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers — 150 man games lost
The receiving corps took a beating in Bomberland this year as Dalton Schoen, Nic Demski, Keric Wheatfall, Jerreth Sterns, and Kody Case missed a combined 33 games. Zach Collaros sat out three contests due to issues with his head and neck, while cornerback Terrell Bonds suffered a torn ACL in August. Other than that, Winnipeg stayed relatively healthy in 2025 with their starting offensive and defensive linemen missing only three total games.
B.C. Lions — 170 man games lost
Offensive linemen Dejon Allen, Michael Couture, David Foucault, and Tyler Packer missed 52 games, putting pressure on the team’s protection up front. The Lions stayed pretty clean elsewhere on the roster, however, as Nathan Rourke, James Butler, and the team’s starting receivers missed only five combined games. Cristophe Beaulieu’s torn ACL was a significant loss last month, though Jackson Findlay has play well in his place.
Edmonton Elks — 188 man games lost
Skyler Griffith, Noah Curtis, and Olivier Muembi missed the entire season for the Elks, while starting receivers Zach Mathis and Steven Dunbar Jr. were out for a combined 20 games. Key defenders Jake Ceresna, Robbie Smith, and Nick Anderson, the league’s reigning Most Outstanding Rookie, missed a combined 24 outings, though Tyreek Johnson, Noah Taylor, and Joel Dublanko fared well in their absence.
Toronto Argonauts — 231 man games lost
Franchise quarterback Chad Kelly didn’t play all year due to the fractured leg he suffered in the 2024 East Final, while veteran defensive linemen Demarcus Christmas and Bryan Cox Jr. played only two total games, and top receivers DaVaris Daniels and Damonte Coxie missed 16 combined contests. The team also started four different running backs due to injuries to Miyan Williams and Deonta McMahon.
Saskatchewan Roughriders — 249 man games lost
Trevor Harris, A.J. Ouellette, and Jermarcus Hardrick stayed healthy virtually all season after previously having injury-plagued years in Riderville, though the club got badly banged up at other spots. Samuel Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker missed most of the year, offensive linemen Sean McEwen, Philippe Gagnon, Daniel Johnson, and Trevon Tate missed a combined 55 games, and four different players started at safety.
Ottawa Redblacks — 281 man games lost
Ottawa faced a disproportionate number of injuries to their Canadians as projected starters Alonzo Addae and Nick Mardner missed the entire year, while Zack Pelehos, Dariusz Bladek, Eric Starczala, Samuel Carson, Peter Godber, Aidan John, Cleyon Laing, Lucas Cormier, and Justin Howell missed at least one-third of the season. Dru Brown missed nine starts under centre, though he still dressed for two of the games he didn’t start.
Calgary Stampeders — 285 man games lost
The Stampeders didn’t lose many marquee players due to injury, save for Reggie Begelton and Folarin Orimolade, though they were the league’s least-healthy team overall. Malik Henry missed a second-straight season, while day-one starters Bryce Bell and Marquel Lee missed a combined 28 games. Adrian Greene, who was named All-West Division following a breakout year, missed five games, while Vernon Adams Jr. missed one.
