It certainly hasn’t felt quite the same the last five seasons seeing the Edmonton Elks outside the playoffs.

That’s why it’s been so encouraging to watch one of the CFL’s most successful franchises get off to such a strong start in 2026.

Thanks to a gutsy 23-18 road win over Winnipeg on Thursday, the Elks are now 3-0 for the first time since 2017. Included in that record is a win at one of the league’s toughest road venues in Princess Auto Stadium and an overtime triumph against previously unbeaten Montreal.

This is a really promising start in the Alberta capital.

And the word start is key here. It was one of the main focuses for second-year head coach Mark Kilam after Edmonton stumbled to a 1-6 record out of the gates in 2025. Despite a nice rally sparked by quarterback Cody Fajardo, that early hole was too much to dig out of.

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But that turnaround last year, which included a stretch of six wins in nine games between August and October, set some important groundwork. Fajardo solidified the starting job after Tre Ford opened the season on top of the depth chart.........

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