CFL

Former Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders wide receiver Martavis Bryant has signed with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, according to the team's vice president of player personnel John F. Murphy. 

Bryant, 29, last played in the NFL in 2018 with the Raiders, posting 19 receptions for 266 yards in eight games (two starts).  

The wide receiver looked like he was bound for stardom after an excellent rookie season in 2014 that saw him catch 26 passes for 549 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games. He followed that up with 50 receptions for 765 yards and six scores in 2015 across 11 contests, though he was suspended the first four games of that season for violating the league's policy on substances of abuse.

That suspension foreshadowed further issues that stalled Bryant's NFL career. He was indefinitely suspended by the NFL in 2016 and missed the entire season for multiple violations of the policy on substances of abuse. He was also banned indefinitely in Dec. 2018 for violating the conditional terms of his reinstatement to the league in 2017.

Bryant never played another snap in the NFL after that 2018 suspension. In total he played in 44 career games, catching 145 passes for 2,183 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

The former Clemson Tiger will look to resurrect his football career in the CFL. 

The CFL announced Monday its 2020 season is canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  

"Our league governors decided today it is in the best long-term interests of the CFL to concentrate on the future," commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. "We are absolutely committed to 2021, to the future of our league and the pursuit of our vision of a bigger, stronger, more global CFL."

The CFL said in its statement that losing its top source of revenue this season—fans in attendance—was the driving factor behind canceling the season. The league had been considering a bubble environment for a shortened season, though the Canadian government rejected the league's request for financial support. 

"Even with additional support, our owners and community-held teams would have had to endure significant financial losses to play in 2020," Ambrosie said. "Without it, the losses would be so large that they would really hamper our ability to bounce back strongly next year and beyond. The most important thing is the future of our league."

The statement also said the league and players had been close to coming to terms on an agreement for a shortened season this year.

"We look forward to building on our relationship with our players as we look to the future," he said. "We need to use this time to build a bigger, better, stronger CFL and I'm confident we can do just that."

Finally, Ambrosie thanked the Canadian population for taking the threat of the coronavirus seriously and taking the necessary steps to slow down its spread. According to CNN.com, Canada has 124,213 confirmed cases and 9,075 deaths. Contrast that to the United States, which has 5.4 million confirmed cases and 170,281 deaths.

"I also want to express our gratitude to all our fellow Canadians because their efforts flattened the pandemic's curve to the extent that a 2020 season appeared feasible," he said. "Unfortunately, not all the necessary pieces came together."

Washington's NFL team is not the only football squad that will officially change its nickname.

On Tuesday, the Edmonton team in the Canadian Football League announced it will no longer use the nickname "Eskimos."

"Our board of directors has made the decision to discontinue use of the word 'Eskimo' in the team name," the announcement read. "We'll be known as the Edmonton Football Team or EE Football Team while we go through the process of determining a new name befitting our storied team."

Sportsnet noted the team conducted a review and twice announced this year it planned on keeping the nickname that Edmonton sports teams have used since the 19th century.

However, part of the team's statement acknowledged attitudes are "shifting" toward the name:

"Recent findings demonstrate that views regarding the team name are shifting. While many fans are deeply committed to keeping the name, others are increasingly uncomfortable with the moniker. The long-term viability of the Club requires everyone to get behind this change and continue to support the team, especially during these challenging financial times. We are grateful for the backing of our partners and know that we can count on them to support us in making this difficult decision and helping us through the change."

The Edmonton CFL team has won 14 Grey Cups in the modern era since it was founded under its previous nickname in 1949.

Controversy over the team's name took center stage in 2015 when Natan Obed, who is the president of Canada's national Inuit organization (the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami), said, "It isn't right for any team to be named after an ethnic group," per the Edmonton Sun. "This is part of the past. It isn't part of the present and shouldn't be part of the future."

The killing of George Floyd that sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism also led to more public pressure for sports teams to move away from racist nicknames. 

In addition to Washington, Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians announced "we are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name."

The Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos have reportedly agreed to expedite their name review and provide an update in that regard by the end of July, according to Phil Heidenreich of the Global News.

In a statement, Edmonton said it was taking "this issue seriously as has been demonstrated by the three years we've spent engaging in Canada's North and conducting research related to our name. We recognize that a lot has occurred since this information was gathered, and as a result, we are accelerating our ongoing process of review."

The team also said it was further consulting with the Inuit community, stakeholders and sponsors.

That came after insurance provider Belairdirect said Tuesday that it was rethinking its sponsorship of the team. The company released the following statement:

"For several years, we have been a sponsor of the Edmonton Eskimos. At Belairdirect, one of our core values is respect, which is founded on seeing diversity as a strength, being inclusive and collaborative. Guided by this value, in order for us to move forward and continue on with our partnership, we will need to see concrete action in the near future, including a commitment to a name change."

A number of other partners, including Maple Leaf Foods, Fisherman's Friend, Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Ltd., Servus Credit Union and Tim Hortons, said they had been in contact with the team regarding the name review or supported the review.

Edmonton's potential name change comes at a time when various nicknames around sports have come under scrutiny or are being changed. Most notably, Washington's NFL team—which has long come under fire for having a racially offensive nickname—announced Monday it would officially be changing its moniker.

"That review has begun in earnest," the team said in a statement (h/t Homero De la Fuente and Wayne Sterling of CNN.com). "As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward. Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the name and logo upon completion of this review."

Washington has not yet named a replacement nickname.

The Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos have announced they will keep their nickname after engaging Inuit leaders in conversations over the past year.  

Edmonton issued a statement explaining the feedback they received before deciding to retain the Eskimos name:

"The Edmonton Eskimo Football Club will be increasing its engagement in Canada's north following an extensive year-long formal research and engagement program with Inuit leaders and community members across Canada.

"The research and engagement program primarily revolved around the Club's name. This program included meetings with Inuit leaders and community leaders in Iqaluit, Inuvik, Yellowknife and Ottawa; and a research phase with a combination of in-depth interviews with Inuit across the north and in Edmonton, and a telephone survey among a broad group of Inuit across Canada.

"The consistent feedback was a desire for more engagement with the Club. There were a range of views regarding the Club's name but no consensus emerged to support a name change. The Club has therefore decided to retain its name."

Janice Agrios, Edmonton's chair of the board of directors, said the franchise will continue its work with the Northern Community Engagement Program that has previously hosted events and school visits in Inuit communities. 

The franchise adopted the Eskimos nickname when it was founded in 1949. The mascot is a polar bear named Nanook and the logo features a gold "EE" in a green oval. 

The CFL's Edmonton Eskimos released kick return specialist Christion Jones over homophobic tweets he posted last week.

"We stand with the LGBTQ2+ community and firmly condemn the language used by Christion Jones. There is no place for such commentary on our team," the Eskimos said in a statement announcing Jones' release.

The CFL also released a statement condemning Jones' comments:

“We in the CFL hold high the Diversity Is Strength banner. Our league makes no claim on perfection, but it does strive to be inclusive, to accept and indeed celebrate our differences, and to respect and honour human rights. There is no place in our league for commentary that disparages people on the basis of their religion, race, gender or sexual orientation. As Pride Month continues, we stand with the LGBTQ+ community. We all need to say no to hate and yes to love.”

Jones sent out tweets Friday saying a "man ain't suppose to be with a man. A women ain't suppose to be with another woman." When the tweets drew blowback, Jones said he "won't be changing how I feel anytime soon."

Jones apologized in a tweet Sunday. 

"From Janis Irwin. 'This is an opportunity for growth.' She is absolutely right. My words were deeply hurtful, painful and served zero purpose," Jones said. "I added to the struggle of a community, to live a life free of oppression of any kind. I sincerely apologize. I was wrong."

Jones played college football at Alabama and briefly spent time with the Miami Dolphins in 2015 and 2016 before joining the CFL. He played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2017 to 2019 before being traded to Edmonton last August.

In 33 career games played, Jones has made eight receptions for 49 yards. He has added three punt returns for touchdowns. 

The Calgary Stampeders won their eighth Grey Cup, defeating the Ottawa Redblacks 27-16 on Sunday at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta.

Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 253 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but the Calgary defense stole the show. The Stampeders held the Redblacks to 387 total yards and forced six turnovers.

Mitchell took home the Grey Cup MVP Award.

Your 106th #GreyCup Most Valuable Player: @calstampeders QB Bo Levi Mitchell.

📝 | https://t.co/6BNCbu0UOY pic.twitter.com/BvAAlct1X2

— CFL (@CFL) November 26, 2018

Trevor Harris is a two-time Grey Cup champion and a big reason Ottawa was one game away from a second title. He was fourth in the league in passing yards (5,116) and fourth in passing touchdowns (22).

Harris had a 2018 Grey Cup to forget, though. He finished 20-of-38 for 288 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. His last two interceptions came inside the final three minutes of the game to all but lock up the defeat for the Redblacks.

Tre Roberson picks off Trevor Harris with 1:22 remaining in the 4th quarter!!@calstampeders #GreyCup #CFL pic.twitter.com/Ddk2E6EC7D

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 26, 2018

Ottawa's defense did well to keep the Calgary offense in check for the most part. Both Mitchell and leading rusher Don Jackson (53 yards) came in below their season averages.

But the turnovers were too much for the Redblacks to overcome.

Stampeders running back Terry Williams also stepped up and delivered what proved to be the decisive score of the game. With one second left in the first half, Williams fielded a punt and eluded the first would-be tackler before turning on the jets and running 97 yards for a touchdown to help give Calgary a 21-11 lead.

Terry Williams returns a punt 97 yards for a @calstampeders touchdown with one second remaining in the first half! 🔥👏#GreyCup #CFL pic.twitter.com/lRMCpLAm5t

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 26, 2018

Beyond the game situation, the Calgary Sun & Herald's Danny Austin explained why Williams was an unlikely Grey Cup hero for the Stampeders.

It's genuinely amazing that Terry Williams had that moment.
Is nursing a shoulder injury, needs surgery in the off-season on his wrist, had never even returned kicks before and didn't think he'd be doing it this year until the Roy Finch stuff happened.

— Danny Austin (@DannyAustin_9) November 26, 2018

The Stampeders were well-aware how tenuous a halftime advantage can be. They led the Toronto Argonauts by nine points after two quarters in last year's Grey Cup before watching the Argonauts come back to win 27-24.

This time around, Calgary's defense held firm in the second half.

The Stampeders and Redblacks exchanged field goals in the third quarter before Rene Paredes made it a 13-point game in the fourth quarter with a 29-yard field goal.

The Redblacks' best chance to try to overturn the deficit came on their possession immediately after Paredes' field goal.

Ottawa drove the ball down to the Calgary 10-yard line with 9:56 left in the game. A second-down completion to Brad Sinopoli on second down set up a 3rd-and-2 for the Redblacks. Harris tried to Sinopoli, but Sinopoli couldn't maintain possession, resulting in a turnover on downs.

The Redblacks went two-and-out on their next drive, and their next two possessions each ended in a Harris interception, as the Ottawa quarterback grew more desperate late in the game.

Calgary finished as the Grey Cup runner-up in 2016 and 2017, losing to Ottawa two seasons ago. That heartbreak will make Sunday's victory taste even sweeter.

With eight Grey Cups, the Stampeders are now tied with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the fourth-most in CFL history.

Although the Canadian Football League originally seemed like a stepping stone in Johnny Manziel's attempted return to the NFL, he is now planning on returning to the Montreal Alouettes next season.

"I didn't really know what to expect when I got here," Manziel said Sunday, per the team's official Twitter account. "This league has exceeded my expectations as far as talent and what kind of league it is. I'm happy here, right now. I'm looking forward to next season — I'm all in on this team for next year."

The Alouettes played their final game of the 2018 season Saturday but failed to make the playoffs.

The squad finished 5-13 on the season, with Manziel only winning in two of his starts.

He ended the year with 1,290 passing yards, throwing five touchdowns and seven interceptions. While this numbers don't jump out, he expects more success in 2019.

"There were growing pains, but I truly feel like I'll be better...moving forward," he said, per Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette. "I'll be much better next season."

The CFL season represented Manziel's first competitive action since starting six games for the Cleveland Browns in 2015. The 2014 first-round NFL draft pick originally signed a two-year deal with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but didn't see the field in four games before being traded to Montreal.

His play certainly wasn't good enough to get attention from NFL teams, but he should be able to return to the Alouettes to try for more success in 2019.

Johnny Manziel ended his first season with the Montreal Alouettes on a high note. The former Heisman Trophy winner went 4-of-5 for 59 yards and one touchdown in the first quarter against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Coming into the game, Montreal head coach Mike Sherman intended to get an extended look at backup quarterbacks Antonio Pipkin and, especially, Matt Shiltz to prepare for 2019.

"We want to give a chance to Matt," Sherman told Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette. "During the pre-season, it's very rough on me to have to evaluate our team in two weeks' time. I want to take advantage of this opportunity."

Saturday's abbreviated showing by Manziel was a vast improvement from where he started the season. He went 11-of-20 with 104 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions in a 50-11 loss.

Manziel's touchdown came on a 30-yard pass in which he had all day to throw and put the ball in a spot where Eugene Lewis could overpower Hamilton defensive back Courtney Stephen:

Johnny #Manziel tosses a DEEP pass to Eugene Lewis for a @MTLAlouettes touchdown!! 🔥#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/0WMJop3o6h

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 3, 2018

In the lead-up to Saturday night, Manziel sounded comfortable about his place in the CFL and wanting to return next season.

"It'll be nice knowing I have someone to come back to, having a routine and really having guys to work with, teammates to talk to," he told Zurkowsky. "It's going to be a good offseason—the first one I've had where I know I'm coming back to football next year. I want to be here."

This was a fitting and full-circle conclusion to what was a unique season for Manziel. He was able to go out on a high note against the team that originally signed him before Montreal acquired him via trade in July. The 25-year-old finished 2018 completing 64.2 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and seven interceptions in eight games.

Considering Manziel hadn't played a professional football game since Dec. 27, 2015, with the Cleveland Browns prior to joining the Alouettes, his stat line isn't nearly as important as just making it through the season without generating any negative headlines for off-field activities.

Montreal Alouettes quarterback Johnny Manziel finally threw his first touchdown pass of the 2018 CFL season Sunday in the Als' 34-29 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Molson Stadium in Montreal.

Manziel completed nine of his 16 passes for 138 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Week 16 contest. The former NFL QB added 45 rushing yards on five attempts in his fourth appearance.

Montreal dropped to a league-worst 3-11 with Sunday's defeat, while the Riders kept a firm grip on second place in the West Division by improving their record to 9-5.

Manziel returned to the Alouettes lineup last week after a monthlong absence. He missed two games because of a concussion and remained on the sideline after returning to full strength as head coach Mike Sherman opted to ride the hot hand of Antonio Pipkin for a couple of additional games.

The 25-year-old Texas A&M product has struggled to make an impact in the CFL. He entered Sunday's game with no touchdowns and five interceptions, including a four-pick game in his Week 8 debut.

While his play against the Roughriders represented only minor progress, finding the end zone for the first time is a noteworthy accomplishment after three years away from professional football.

The 47-yard connection with Adarius Bowman came on a trick play.

#JohhnyManziel goes DEEP for his first touchdown pass in the #CFL!!#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/L2AKYXOHFl

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 30, 2018

Manziel added a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Ernest Jackson as part of the Als' comeback bid, which came up one score short.

#JohnnyManziel avoids a tackle and throws for his 2nd TOUCHDOWN PASS of the game!! 👏👏#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/T6f33fFCSj

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 30, 2018

Nick Marshall scored two touchdowns for Saskatchewan, while Tre Mason and Kyran Moore tallied one TD apiece to help the visitors earn the narrow road triumph.

Looking ahead, the Alouettes return to action next Monday against the Calgary Stampeders in their penultimate home game of the campaign. It might represent a critical start for Manziel.

Montreal has a bye week following the matchup with Calgary before playing its final three games of the regular season. If the oft-discussed quarterback fails to impress, the struggling team may check out its other options at the position down the stretch as it begins looking toward 2019.