Justin McInnis went from a standout first round pick to a frustrated young player coming out of Saskatchewan to now one of the most coveted potential free agents of the 2025 off-season.
After a nearly 1,500 yard season and becoming one of the hardest receivers to cover in 2024, McInnis will not have a lack of options.
He could have easily won Most Outstanding Canadian if it weren’t for the great play of Bombers running back Brady Oliveira.
At six-foot-five he will be a welcome target for any quarterback as he was for Nathan Rourke and Vernon Adams Jr. last season.
Now here’s a list of my top five potential targets for McInnis, understanding that ALL NINE teams would love to get McInnis in its receiver corps.
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BC LIONS
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Let’s start with the first team that has the crack on McInnis, which is the Lions. Certainly there have been some reports that the two sides may not be all that close on financials earlier in the off-season but those things can get closer as his agent gets a better feel for the market, while the Lions figure out how they’re truly going forward with a new general manager.
The Lions will want to surround Nathan Rourke with as much talent as possible in his first full season back in the CFL after struggling to find his game after joining the Lions midway through in 2024.
If McInnis can see a path to success with Rourke and new head coach Buck Pierce, it would be hard to leave the west coast, because let’s be honest, it’s one of the nicest places to live in the entire country.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
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The next stop on the journey for Justin McInnis would be a reunion with the quarterback he’s worked out with for two consecutive off-seasons and caught most of his receptions from; Vernon Adams Jr.
A reunion in Calgary would be a welcome sight for Stampeders fans who want to see a much more explosive offence than they’ve seen in the past few seasons.
And Justin McInnis has been one of the biggest play receivers in the league. Dave Dickenson’s activity in free agency will be interesting to see if we see a more active period from the Stamps than we’ve seen in a while.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
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A home coming is always high on the options in the Canadian Football League. McInnis grew up on the island of Montreal in Pointe-Claire, Quebec.
The Alouettes have a good crop of receivers but aside from Tyson Philpot, there is a lack of National talent in the receiver room in Montreal.
General manager Danny Maciocia is a fan of bringing in Quebec talent, and adding McInnis is a great way to build up their local talent.
OTTAWA REDBLACKS
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The Ottawa REDBLACKS are next on my list for the proximity to Montreal but also Shawn Burke does need to continue to build up this roster to get over the hump and back into the playoffs.
There is a massive hole in terms of a ratio-breaking offensive player on Ottawa’s roster to support young, developing quarterback Dru Brown.
The last time the REDBLACKS were among the best in the league, you may remember they had Brad Sinopoli snapping footballs out of the sky on offence.
McInnis would bring in another large Canadian target to leave some flexibility in other places on the roster.
EDMONTON ELKS
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I was going back and forth with the Elks and the Tiger-Cats for this fifth spot on this list but another general manager looking for a spark and Ed Hervey hasn’t been afraid to spend money as he did in Edmonton and BC.
If the Elks move away from Eugene Lewis, you’re looking a large sum of money that shakes free to sign a younger player in McInnis.
You saw the prowess of McInnis reading plays and finding space when Adams Jr. needed to use his legs to extend the play.
Add McInnis to Tre Ford, who will be likely doing more of that with his natural ability to move the pocket and McInnis could have a big year in Edmonton helping turn the organization around.
But again, McInnis should have all eight teams ringing his phone when the negotiation window opens in just over a week, while the Lions hope their best offer is close to what the other teams will come to the table with.