According to the Canadian Press on Monday, the Ottawa Redblacks and Toronto Argonauts have switched quarterbacks. The Redblacks and Argonauts were not officially in a trade, but it was close to one as the Argonauts released quarterback Matt Nichols of Redding, California, who was signed by the Redblacks, and the Redblacks released quarterback Nick Arbuckle of Camarillo, California, who was signed by the Argonauts on Sunday.
Nichols, who is 33 years of age, will be joining his fourth CFL team, as he previously played for the Edmonton Football Team and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. However, one must realize he never played for the Argonauts, as he signed on February 7, 2020, and the 2020 Canadian Football League season was cancelled. A Grey Cup champion with the Blue Bombers in 2019, Nichols was not in the Grey Cup game as he missed the second-half of the season with a shoulder injury. In nine games with Winnipeg in 2019, Nichols completed 171 of 240 passes for 1936 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also had 37 rushing yards and another major score.
Arbuckle, who is 27 years of age, also never got to play for the Redblacks either. He was traded to Ottawa from the Calgary Stampeders for two draft picks in the 2020 CFL Draft on January 3, 2020. Over the last three seasons in Calgary, Arbuckle was the regular backup to Bo Levi Mitchell. In 2019, Arbuckle completed 174 of 238 attempts for 2103 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also had 27 rushing carries for 76 yards and four more touchdowns.
Nichols and Arbuckle will also reunite with former coaches in Ottawa and Toronto. Paul LaPolice was the Blue Bombers offensive co-ordinator from 2016 to 2019, and is now the head coach of the Redblacks. Meanwhile, Ryan Dinwiddie was the quarterbacks coach with the Stampeders from 2016 to 2019, and is now the head coach of the Argonauts.
