2021 Edmonton Elks season

Last updated
2021 Edmonton Elks season
General manager Brock Sunderland
Head coach Jaime Elizondo
Home field Commonwealth Stadium
Results
Record3–11
Division place5th, West
Playoff finishdid not qualify
Team MOP James Wilder Jr.
Team MOC Sean Whyte
Team MOR Nyles Morgan
Uniform
CFL EDM Jersey 2021.png

The 2021 Edmonton Elks season was the 63rd season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 72nd overall. This was the first season that the team competed under a new name, as the "Eskimos" moniker was retired in 2020, and the new name "Elks" was announced on June 1, 2021. [1]

Contents

The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2018 following a week 14 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on November 5, 2021. [2] The team also finished the season without a home win for the first time in the team's 72–year history following that same home loss to the Roughriders. [2]

This was the fourth season under general manager Brock Sunderland. [3] This would have been the first season under head coach Scott Milanovich, but he resigned from his position on January 25, 2021. [4] Instead, Jaime Elizondo was named as the 23rd head coach in the team's history on February 1, 2021. [5]

An 18-game season schedule was originally released on November 20, 2020, but it was announced on April 21, 2021 that the start of the season would likely be delayed until August and feature a 14-game schedule. [6] [7] On June 15, 2021, the league released the revised 14-game schedule with regular season play beginning on August 5, 2021. [8]

Offseason

CFL Global Draft

The 2021 CFL Global Draft took place on April 15, 2021. [9] [10] With the format being a snake draft, Edmonton selected second in the odd-numbered rounds and eighth in the even-numbered rounds. [9]

RoundPickPlayerPositionUniversity/Club TeamNationality
12 Steven Nielsen OL Eastern Michigan Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark
217 Misiona Aiolupotea-Pei DL Washington State Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand
320 Tibo Debaillie DL Towson Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
435 Matt Leo DE Iowa State Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia

CFL National Draft

The 2021 CFL Draft took place on May 4, 2021. [11] The team had six selections in the six-round snake draft and had the fifth pick in each of the rounds. [12] [13]

RoundPickPlayerPositionUniversity TeamHometown
15 Cole Nelson DL Alberta Edmonton, AB
214 Grant McDonald LB Calgary Tsawwassen, BC
323 Deonte Glover RB Shepherd Inwood, WV
432 Dominic Johnson WR Buffalo Windsor, ON
541 Peter Kourtis OL Saint Mary's Toronto, ON
650 Kenan Clarke DB Cornell Pickering, ON

Preseason

Due to the shortening of the season, the CFL confirmed that pre-season games would not be played in 2021. [8]

Planned schedule

WeekGameDateKickoffOpponentTVVenue
ABye
B1Sat, May 292:00 p.m. MDT vs. Calgary Stampeders NA Commonwealth Stadium
C2Fri, Jun 48:00 p.m. MDTat BC Lions NA BC Place

[14]

Regular season

Season standings

TeamGPWLTPtsPFPADivStk
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 141130223511878–1L2 Details
Saskatchewan Roughriders 14950182902855–4L1 Details
Calgary Stampeders 14860163152636–4W3 Details
BC Lions 14590103133512–7W1 Details
Edmonton Elks 14311062463772–7L1 Details

Season schedule

The Elks initially had a schedule that featured 18 regular season games beginning on June 12 and ending on October 30. [6] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the Canadian Football League delayed the start of the regular season to August 5, 2021 and the Elks began their 14-game season on August 7, 2021. [8]

On August 22, 2021, it was announced that the Elks had several players test positive for COVID-19, so the August 26, 2021 game was postponed with the rescheduled date to be declared once the Elks pass health and safety protocols. [15] The CFL announced on September 2, 2021 that the game was rescheduled for Tuesday, November 16, 2021, meaning that the Elks will play three games in just a seven-day span. [16]

WeekGameDateKickoffOpponentResultsTVVenueAttendanceSummary
ScoreRecord
11Sat, Aug 78:00 p.m. MDT Ottawa Redblacks L 12–160–1 TSN/RDS2/ESPN2 Commonwealth Stadium 30,302 Recap
22Sat, Aug 145:00 p.m. MDT Montreal Alouettes L 13–300–2TSN/RDS Commonwealth Stadium25,116 Recap
33Thurs, Aug 198:00 p.m. MDT@ BC Lions W 21–161–2TSN/ESPN2 BC Place 12,500 Recap
4Bye (originally scheduled for Thurs, Aug 26, at Toronto Argonauts; rescheduled to week 16)
54 Mon, Sept 6 2:30 p.m. MDT@ Calgary Stampeders W 32–202–2TSN/ESPNews McMahon Stadium 31,039 Recap
65Sat, Sept 115:00 p.m. MDTCalgary StampedersL 16–322–3TSN/RDSCommonwealth Stadium33,493* Recap
76Sat, Sept 187:45 p.m. MDT Winnipeg Blue Bombers L 22–372–4TSNCommonwealth Stadium23,310 Recap
8Bye
97Tues, Sept 285:30 p.m. MDT@ Ottawa RedblacksL 24–342–5TSN/RDS2 TD Place Stadium 12,108 Recap
108Fri, Oct 86:30 p.m. MDT@ Winnipeg Blue BombersL 3–302–6TSN/RDS2 IG Field 27,388 Recap
119Fri, Oct 157:00 p.m. MDTWinnipeg Blue BombersL 16–262–7TSNCommonwealth Stadium24,276 Recap
12Bye
1310Fri, Oct 297:45 p.m. MDT Hamilton Tiger-Cats L 23–392–8TSNCommonwealth Stadium22,857 Recap
1411Fri, Nov 57:45 p.m. MDT Saskatchewan Roughriders L 17–192–9TSNCommonwealth Stadium24,115 Recap
1512Sat, Nov 132:00 p.m. MST@ Saskatchewan RoughridersL 24–292–10TSN/RDS Mosaic Stadium 26,056 Recap
1613Tues, Nov 165:30 p.m. MST@ Toronto Argonauts W 13–73–10TSN BMO Field 6,247 Recap
1614Fri, Nov 198:30 p.m. MST@ BC LionsL 10–433–11TSNBC Place12,500 Recap

[17] [18] [19]

*Top attendance in CFL

Team

Roster

Edmonton Elks roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Fullbacks

Receivers

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

1-Game Injured List

6-Game Injured List

Practice roster

Suspended

Italics indicate American player • Bold indicates Global player • 45 Active, 9 Injured, 17 Practice, 8 Suspended
Roster updated 2021-10-18 • Depth chart Transactions More CFL rosters

Coaching staff

Front Office
  • President and CEO – Rick LeLacheur (Interim)
  • General Manager – Geroy Simon (Interim)
  • Manager of Football Operations – Shahbaz Dhillon
  • Canadian Scouting – Frantz Clarkson
  • Video Coordinator – Shaylee Foord

Head Coach

  • Interim Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks– Jarious Jackson
  • Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers – Jason Shivers

Offensive coaches

 

Defensive coaches

Special teams coach

Strength and Conditioning

  • Strength and Conditioning Coach – Erin Craig

Coaching staff
More CFL staffs

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References

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  4. "Milanovich resigns as Edmonton's head coach". CFL.ca. January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  5. "EE Football Team names Jaime Elizondo as head coach". Edmonton Elks. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Divisional games take centre stage in unique 2021 schedule". Canadian Football League. November 20, 2020.
  7. "CFL Announces Plans To Return-to-play For 2021 Season". Canadian Football League. April 21, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 "Circle your calendars: CFL releases 2021 schedule". Canadian Football League. June 15, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "CFL calendar busy with free agency, virtual combines, drafts". Canadian Football League. February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  10. "2021 Global Draft tracker". Canadian Football League . Retrieved April 15, 2021.
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  12. "2021 CFL Draft to feature some significant changes". CFL.ca. November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  13. "Ti-Cats snag first selection as CFL reveals 2021 order". CFL.ca. November 21, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  14. "2021 Schedule". Edmonton Elks . Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  15. "CFL Statement on the Elks-Argonauts game on Thursday". Canadian Football League. August 8, 2021.
  16. "Postponed Elks-Argos game rescheduled to Nov. 16". Canadian Football League. September 2, 2021.
  17. "2021 Schedule". Canadian Football League . Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  18. "Nos émissions" (in French). Réseau des sports . Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  19. "ESPN, Upcoming". ESPN . Retrieved August 3, 2021.