2021 Edmonton Elks season

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]

2021 Edmonton Elks season
General managerBrock Sunderland
Head coachJaime Elizondo
Home fieldCommonwealth Stadium
Results
Record3–11
Division place5th, West
Playoff finishdid not qualify
Team MOPJames Wilder Jr.
Team MOCSean Whyte
Team MORNyles Morgan
Uniform

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]

Round Pick Player Position University/Club Team Nationality
12Steven NielsenOLEastern MichiganDenmark Denmark
217Misiona Aiolupotea-PeiDLWashington StateNew Zealand New Zealand
320Tibo DebaillieDLTowsonBelgium Belgium
435Matt LeoDEIowa StateAustralia 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]

Round Pick Player Position University Team Hometown
15Cole NelsonDLAlbertaEdmonton, AB
214Grant McDonaldLBCalgaryTsawwassen, BC
323Deonte GloverRBShepherdInwood, WV
432Dominic JohnsonWRBuffaloWindsor, ON
541Peter KourtisOLSaint Mary'sToronto, ON
650Kenan ClarkeDBCornellPickering, 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
Week Game Date Kickoff Opponent TV Venue
A Bye
B 1 Sat, May 29 2:00 p.m. MDT vs. Calgary Stampeders NA Commonwealth Stadium
C 2 Fri, Jun 4 8:00 p.m. MDT at BC Lions NA BC Place

[14]

Regular season

Season standings
West Division
Team GP W L T Pts PF PA Div Stk
Winnipeg Blue Bombers141130223511878–1L2Details
Saskatchewan Roughriders14950182902855–4L1Details
Calgary Stampeders14860163152636–4W3Details
BC Lions14590103133512–7W1Details
Edmonton Elks14311062463772–7L1Details

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 re-scheduled date to be declared once the Elks pass health and safety protocols.[15] The CFL announced on September 2, 2021 that the game was re-scheduled for Tuesday, November 16, 2021, meaning that the Elks will play three games in just a seven-day span.[16]

Week Game Date Kickoff Opponent Results TV Venue Attendance Summary
Score Record
1 1 Sat, Aug 7 8:00 p.m. MDT Ottawa Redblacks L 12–16 0–1 TSN/RDS2/ESPN2 Commonwealth Stadium 30,302 Recap
2 2 Sat, Aug 14 5:00 p.m. MDT Montreal Alouettes L 13–30 0–2 TSN/RDS Commonwealth Stadium 25,116 Recap
3 3 Thurs, Aug 19 8:00 p.m. MDT @ BC Lions W 21–16 1–2 TSN/ESPN2 BC Place 12,500 Recap
4 Bye (originally scheduled for Thurs, Aug 26, at Toronto Argonauts; re-scheduled to week 16)
5 4 Mon, Sept 6 2:30 p.m. MDT @ Calgary Stampeders W 32–20 2–2 TSN/ESPNews McMahon Stadium 31,039 Recap
6 5 Sat, Sept 11 5:00 p.m. MDT Calgary Stampeders L 16–32 2–3 TSN/RDS Commonwealth Stadium 33,493 Recap
7 6 Sat, Sept 18 7:45 p.m. MDT Winnipeg Blue Bombers L 22–37 2–4 TSN Commonwealth Stadium 23,310 Recap
8 Bye
9 7 Tues, Sept 28 5:30 p.m. MDT @ Ottawa Redblacks L 24–34 2–5 TSN/RDS2 TD Place Stadium 12,108 Recap
10 8 Fri, Oct 8 6:30 p.m. MDT @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers L 3–30 2–6 TSN/RDS2 IG Field 27,388 Recap
11 9 Fri, Oct 15 7:00 p.m. MDT Winnipeg Blue Bombers L 16–26 2–7 TSN Commonwealth Stadium 24,276 Recap
12 Bye
13 10 Fri, Oct 29 7:45 p.m. MDT Hamilton Tiger-Cats L 23–39 2–8 TSN Commonwealth Stadium 22,857 Recap
14 11 Fri, Nov 5 7:45 p.m. MDT Saskatchewan Roughriders L 17–19 2–9 TSN Commonwealth Stadium 24,115 Recap
15 12 Sat, Nov 13 2:00 p.m. MST @ Saskatchewan Roughriders L 24–29 2–10 TSN/RDS Mosaic Stadium 26,056 Recap
16 13 Tues, Nov 16 5:30 p.m. MST @ Toronto Argonauts W 13–7 3–10 TSN BMO Field 6,247 Recap
16 14 Fri, Nov 19 8:30 p.m. MST @ BC Lions L 10–43 3–11 TSN BC Place 12,500 Recap

[17][18][19]

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

  • -- Curtis Akins LB
  • -- Darrell Brown OL
  • -- Tarean Folston RB
  • -- J.J. Jones WR
  • -- Peter Kourtis OL
  • -- David Perkins DL
  • -- Debione Renfro DB
  • -- Albert Smalls DB
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
Edmonton Elks staff
Front Office
  • President and CEO – Rick LeLacheur (Interim)
  • General Manager – Chris Jones
  • Assistant General Manager – Geroy Simon
  • Assistant General Manager – Bobby Merritt
  • Director of Football Operations – Kris Hagerman
  • Director of US Scouting – Sammy Gahagan
  • Assistant Director of Football Operations – Nick Pelletier
  • Head Video Coordinator – Mike Woytowich

Head Coach

Offensive coaches

  • Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks – Jarious Jackson
  • Run Game Coordinator and Receivers – Markus Howell
  • Offensive Line – Stephen Sorrells
  • Running backs – Jordan Linnen
  

Defensive coaches

Special teams coach

  • Special Teams Coordinator - Mike Scheper
  • Special Teams Assistant - Michael Daniels

Strength and Conditioning

  • Strength and Conditioning Coach – Erin Craig

→ Coaching staff
→ More CFL staffs

References
  1. @elks (June 1, 2021). "New Name. Same Game" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. "Elks go winless at home this season, fall to Riders". TSN. November 5, 2021.
  3. "Eskimos part ways with head coach Jason Maas". cfl.ca. November 21, 2020.
  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. "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. "Circle your calendars: CFL releases 2021 schedule". Canadian Football League. June 15, 2021.
  9. "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.
  11. "CFL announces date for 2021 CFL National Draft". cfl.ca. Canadian Football League. March 30, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  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.
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