It’s the biggest trade for the Calgary Stampeders since Bo Levi Mitchell was sent packing a few years back.
Veteran quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. — one of the CFL’s best pivots over the last five years — is coming to McMahon Stadium.
“We’re excited to bring Vernon to Calgary,” said Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson.
“We know he is a dynamic player and great leader, and we look forward to him bringing his big talents to the Red and White.”
The Stampeders announced the deal Tuesday, acquiring Adams from the B.C. Lions.
In addition to the veteran pivot, the team receives the Lions’ fourth-round selection — 32nd overall — in the 2025 CFL Draft and the Lions’ third-round pick in 2026.
In exchange, the Stamps send their second- and fourth-round picks — ninth and 29th overall — in 2025 and their second-round pick in 2026 to the Lions.
“I am super excited to be a Stampeder,” Adams said. “I’ve always wanted to play for Dave and an organization like Calgary — so much rich history and culture. I’m pumped I get to link back up with Beau Baldwin, as well.
“I’m ready to get to work.”
The Stampeders are happy to hear that.
In 31-year-old Adams, they get a bona fide CFL QB — nicknamed ‘Big-Play V.A.’ — who has played a combined 101 regular-season games with the Lions, the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders during his eight-year tenure.
In 2024, Adams had a 6-3 record as a starter for the Lions, as he completed 197-of-302 passes for 2,929 yards and 16 touchdowns. He had six 300-yard passing games and also carried the ball 40 times for 213 yards and three scores.
In the Western Semi-Final, Adams passed for 317 yards and two touchdowns.
Adams became available after the mid-season return of QB Nathan Rourke, the 2022 CFL Most Outstanding Canadian, to the Lions from a failed attempt to stick in the NFL.
And with Dickenson looking to make an impact at the pivot position after two-plus years of pedestrian Jake Maier as his starter, it was important for the Stamps to get into the conversation to acquire Adams.
The Red and White GM had already secured the services of QB P.J. Walker, a nine-game NFL starter, heading into the 2025 campaign.
Now with this transaction, there’s suddenly major talent in the Stamps QB room, because behind Rourke, Adams is arguably the second-best quarterback in the CFL.
For his three-down career, the native of Pasadena, Calif., native has thrown for 16,190 yards and 96 touchdowns and rushed for 1,644 yards and 24 majors. Most importantly for the Stamps, who have just 11 combined wins over the last two seasons, Adams boasts a career record of 38-22 as starting QB in the CFL.
Adams also has four career starts in the playoffs with 1,177 passing yards including a pair of 300-yard games as well as four rushing touchdowns.
In college, Adams played his senior season (2015) with the NCAA’s Oregon Ducks and was named the Pac-12 Conference’s newcomer of the year. In 10 games for the Ducks, he completed 168-of-259 passes for 2,643 yards with 26 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Adams also had 147 rushing yards and two scores.
Adams transferred to Oregon after three seasons with the NCAA’s Eastern Washington Eagles, with whom he played for Baldwin, the current Stampeders quarterbacks coach. Adams was 28-6 as a starter with the FCS-side Eagles and was a first-team Big Sky Conference all-star and the conference’s offensive player of the year in both 2013 and ’14. In 37 games with Eastern Washington, he completed 701-of-1,081 passes for 10,438 yards and 110 touchdowns. Adams also had 1,232 yards and 11 touchdowns along the ground.
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