{"id":176826,"date":"2026-08-21T10:16:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T10:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/176826\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T10:16:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T10:16:08","slug":"ryan-dinwiddie-non-committal-on-ottawa-redblacks-qb-situation-after-jake-maier-benching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/176826\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryan Dinwiddie non-committal on Ottawa Redblacks’ QB situation after Jake Maier benching"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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The Ottawa Redblacks are evaluating all options after dropping to 0-10 on the season, including a potential change at quarterback.<\/p>\n

Head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie wouldn\u2019t rule out any possibilities after benching starter Jake Maier during Thursday\u2019s 46-16 loss to the Alouettes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see. We\u2019ve got a 10-day week,\u201d he told TSN 1200 post-game<\/a> when asked whether a permanent switch was being considered. \u201cWe thought about doing that (benching Maier) in the third quarter. I said, \u2018Let\u2019s give Jake one more.\u2019 Then we went down (another) score.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Maier completed 14-of-23 passes for just 126 yards and two interceptions in the blowout. His final snap came on the last play of the third quarter, when he was stripped by Montreal linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku. Veteran backup McLeod Bethel-Thompson took to the field to start the fourth.<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old pivot indicated post-game that he wasn\u2019t happy about the benching, but appeared to have made peace with Dinwiddie\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a good conversation with Coach about it. He was upfront and honest, and that\u2019ll stay between us. I think everything will be okay,\u201d Maier told the media<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just had too many unfortunate, crippling plays, and I had to do with a couple of them, for sure. That\u2019ll be something that I\u2019m definitely accountable for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dinwiddie did not provide a detailed assessment of his starting quarterback\u2019s performance, but suggested that the first interception, which occurred with under four minutes remaining in the first quarter when Ottawa had a chance to go up 14-0, was the turning point in the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went down the field, did what we needed to do to score, and on first-and-five, we\u2019re just trying to call quick game. They came up, played two-man, so we had to work our conversions. We just can\u2019t have a turnover there,\u201d he emphasized. \u201cThey had the right call, but we could get an incompletion \u2014 second-and-five, we\u2019re alright. That\u2019s where I kind of felt like the wheels fell off offensively.\u201d<\/p>\n

For his part, Maier felt it was his second interception, which was returned 29 yards for a touchdown by Kabion Ento, which actually proved fatal.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruth be told, he kind of got in my blind spot a little bit; he ran right through and jumped around. Nobody\u2019s fault besides mine, not recognizing that that\u2019s the coverage that they were playing,\u201d he explained. \u201cI just felt like that\u2019s where the game really flipped.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maier has started all 10 games for the Redblacks since he supplanted incumbent Dru Brown in training camp<\/a>, a decision by Dinwiddie which surprised many at the time. He has posted respectable numbers, completing 260-of-374 passes (69.5 percent) for 2,806 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. However, victory has eluded him<\/a>, as the Redblacks have extended their record-setting CFL losing streak to 16 games dating back to 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At various points, the Fullerton, Cal., native has claimed both ignorance<\/a> and complete responsibility for Ottawa\u2019s failings<\/a>. His coach has backed him at every turn, though that confidence could be waning.<\/p>\n

Dinwiddie did cast some doubt on the possibility of a change under centre by expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of Bethel-Thompson. The 38-year-old, who was signed after Ottawa traded Brown away<\/a>, connected on four-of-nine attempts in a quarter of action, throwing for 55 yards and an interception.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think Mac looked that sharp in there. The interception, he had Keelan (White) on the inside seam, and that\u2019s our first read. He\u2019s still working through some rust there,\u201d Dinwiddie said.<\/p>\n

For the first time, the 45-year-old bench boss acknowledged that he was considering giving rookie third-stringer Bryson Barnes meaningful reps, a prospect he\u2019d previously expressed hesitancy regarding. Unfortunately, other factors got in the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have went with Bryson, too, at the end. He got a little dinged on the short yardage, his last one, so I didn\u2019t want to put him out there and risk injury. He had a beat-up leg,\u201d Dinwiddie revealed.<\/p>\n

Ottawa won\u2019t return to action until Sunday, August 30, when they host the B.C. Lions, which will provide the organization with over a week to weigh their options. Maier provides stability, but the results are tough to ignore. Bethel-Thompson offers a wealth of experience, but does nothing for the future of the franchise. Barnes is entirely unproven; a mystery box which could make the situation worse just as easily as he could improve it.<\/p>\n

Dinwiddie acknowledged that change on the roster is inevitable at this point, but whether quarterback is included remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all playing and coaching for our jobs, and so we\u2019re gonna give a lot of these other guys opportunities that are deserving of it. We\u2019re not gonna throw a guy out there if he don\u2019t deserve it, but at this stage, we\u2019re gonna have to mix it up a little bit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re 0-10. I mean, you\u2019re still in the playoff hunt, but I\u2019m not even worried about that. I just told all the guys we gotta look in the mirror, and everybody\u2019s got to do their job better. That should be our focus individually.\u201d<\/p>\n

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J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league’s Global initiative.<\/p>\n

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