Report: McLeod Bethel-Thompson Agrees to One-Year Deal with Edmonton Elks
The answer to one of the biggest offseason questions has been revealed. McLeod Bethel-Thompson is back in the CFL.
Bethel-Thompson and the Edmonton Elks have agreed on a one-year contract, according to TSN’s Farhan Lalji. The contract could be worth up to $500,000 with incentives.
It was reported last month that Edmonton was pursuing Bethel-Thompson after he wanted to make a return to the CFL. He originally left the CFL to return to the United States to be closer to his family.
The 35-year-old quarterback spent last year in the USFL with the New Orleans Breakers. He led the league with 2,433 passing yards and had 14 touchdowns in 10 games. The Breakers went 7-3 before losing to the eventual USFL champion Birmingham Stallions in the first round of the playoffs.
He spent his previous five seasons as the quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts, starting in four of those seasons. He has thrown for 13,261 yards and 70 touchdowns in 74 games in his CFL career. He also has rushed for 513 yards and two scores.
Bethel-Thompson twice led the CFL in passing touchdowns (26) in 2019 and passing yards (4,731) in 2022. He earned CFL East All-Star honors twice and won the Grey Cup twice, including as a backup in 2017 and as the starter in 2022.
Bethel-Thompson was on the practice roster for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for a month in 2016. Before the CFL, he made several stops in professional football with arena football, NFL, UFL, and TSL.
Bethel-Thompson's signing might leave last season's starter Tre Ford in limbo. Bethel-Thompson figures to be the Day 1 starter, with Ford behind him on the depth chart. It should make for a lot of offseason chatter as to whether Ford should hold the job or let Bethel-Thompson take the reins.
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