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REGINA – Jake Dolegala has not hesitated to step into the role of starting quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Dolegala, who has a 2-9 career record as a CFL starter, will replace the injured Bo Levi Mitchell when the Tiger-Cats visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Dolegala, who is in his second season with Hamilton, understands the expectations of replacing Mitchell, a future Hall of Fame quarterback.
“The preparation must be the same,” said Dolegala. “You always prepare and act as if you’re going to be the starter. There’s a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. Of course, Bo is having a tough year and I want to continue that for this team and this organization.”
“Mentally, I have to go out and stay within myself, not try to be a hero and do what I want.”
Mitchell suffered a broken left ankle in a 14-13 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 5. The 36-year-old Mitchell is off to a rough start this season, completing 78.2 percent of his passes for 1,107 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception.
Dolegala has been in touch with Mitchell all week and shared some of the advice he was given.
“Bo has told me to be myself, don’t try to be a hero,” Dolegala said. “He knows how I play, he’s like ‘Jake, you’re a sniper, we’re both snipers.’
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“He just wants me to go out there, be myself, take what I’m given, but when the opportunity presents itself, don’t be afraid to let it go.”
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Mitchell underwent ankle surgery on July 6 and is expected to make a full recovery. It’s unknown if he can return this season so head coach Scott Milanovich will rely on Dolegala and Tre Ford to run Hamilton’s offense.
Meanwhile Ford, who was drafted as a free agent from the Edmonton Elks in February, has been listed as the nation’s No. 1 quarterback. No. 2 on the Tiger-Cats depth chart this season, it was Dolegala who Milanovich chose to start on Sunday.
“(Dolegala) has a lot more experience with what we do now,” Milanovich explained. “My hope when we brought in Tre was that he could learn from Bo for a year and then if Bo chose to retire — I know there was talk about that last season — he would be ready to compete next year. I just think Jake has more experience with what we’re doing right now.”
Ford is a wild card for the Tiger-Cats with a very different style than Mitchell and Dolegala. Known more for his scrambling and improvisational skills, Ford has struggled with his consistency.
In his first experience as a starter with the Elks, he was named Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian Player in 2023, passing for 2,069 yards while rushing for 622 yards.
He began the 2025 season as Edmonton’s starter but lost his job to Cody Fajardo five games into the season. Ford was released by the Elks in January and then signed with the Tiger-Cats in February.
Saturday’s game will be a bit of a homecoming for Dolegala who spent his first two seasons with the Riders before moving on to the BC Lions in 2024 and the Tiger-Cats in 2025.
While the talk in Hamilton was about who wasn’t playing, the talk in Saskatchewan was about someone returning to the lineup— running back AJ Ouellette, who missed the last two games with an ankle injury.
Since joining the Riders in 2024 as a free agent, Ouellette has been an integral part of the team, spearheading it to a Gray Cup title in 2025, with 1,222 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Known for his toughness and intensity, Ouellette admitted at times the Saskatchewan organization felt like it had to save him from himself while battling injuries.
“Yeah, I think my first year here was a big indicator of that, coming back from injuries too quickly and making all those things worse,” said Ouellette, who missed 10 games in 2024 with various injuries.
“Working with (head coach Corey) Mace for many years, he understands who I am. My main focus is to be able to play my best and help the team win. But sometimes I have to think about whether I’m at my best or not.”
That doesn’t mean sitting on the sidelines is any easier for Ouellette.
“Every time you miss practice it eats at you so missing a game is 10 times worse. It’s good to know that I’m going to be out there and hopefully do my job and get a win,” Ouellette said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2026.
© 2026 Canadian Press
