The Calgary Stampeders have added Vernon Adams Jr. to their quarterback room less than a week after the B.C. Lions confirmed he would be traded.
In a deal with the Lions, the Stamps acquired the pivot along with a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a third-round pick in 2026 in exchange for 2025 second and fourth-round picks and a second-round pick in 2025 from B.C.
The trade comes six days after Ryan Rigmaiden was promoted to the general manager’s job in B.C. During his opening press conference, Rigmaiden revealed that trading Adams would be his top roster priority. He would contact teams across the Canadian Football League to negotiate a deal to move Adams.
Adams became expendable when quarterback Nathan Rourke returned to the Lions after failing to land a roster spot in the National Football League.
Calgary becomes the 31-year-old Adams's fifth CFL team. He has been in the league since 2016 when he joined the Montreal Alouettes.
In 2024, Adams completed 197-of-302 passes for 2,929 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. However, his season was interrupted by a knee injury in Week 9 against Winnipeg, which led to him missing five games and losing his starting job to Rourke. Prior to his injury, many felt that Adams was on pace to win the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Adams joins a quarterback room in Calgary with P.J. Walker, who is the lone signed Stampeders quarterback through 2025. Jake Maier, Matthew Shiltz, Logan Bonner, and Tommy Stevens are all pending free agents.
