QBs of Steel: What the partnership of Evans & Masoli means for Hamilton

With the extension of Jeremiah Masoli, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have some great options at QB. It’s a tough decision between Masoli, who’s thrown for 13,110 yards in 7 seasons with the team, and Dane Evans who took the reigns in 2019 to lead the Ticats to the Grey Cup. But the Ticats have a tough decision – how do they manage their QB situation in 2020?

The first option mimics Winnipeg in the 2019 playoffs – a two-QB system. The Blue Bombers won the Grey Cup thanks to the combined efforts of Chris Streveler and Zach Collaros, showing that a similar system could work in Hamilton. However, the Bombers were able to pull it off because their quarterbacks had different skillsets – Streveler is a better rusher who is also able to create plays on the ground, whereas Collaros is more of a passer. Evans and Masoli, while both outstanding players, have roughly the same skills, making this idea not as promising. The Ticats could have both of them as starters, but it’s unlikely, especially as doing so would probably cut down the playtime of secondary and short-yardage QB David Watford.

Or perhaps, instead of playing both, one gets demoted to secondary while the other starts for the team. This is another unlikely option – Evans and Masoli are both starter-calibre, and to bench one would be a massive waste. However, if this were to happen, Masoli would probably get the nod – he’s had more experience and long-term success than Evans, whose role as a secondary would give him more maturity to allow him to inherit his own team one day.

So where does that leave the Cats? Well, they could follow the strategy of the 2016 Ottawa Redblacks, who alternated between starters all the way to the Grey Cup. Just as rookie Trevor Harris and veteran Henry Burris took turns to start throughout the year, Hamilton could switch between Evans and Masoli depending on opponent, injury or starting roster. It would allow the Cats to adapt to whatever situation they find themselves in without benching either of their talented rosters. While Hamilton could probably make any QB option work, this seems like the best one to ensure success in 2020.

What do you think Hamilton’s QB strategy should be in 2020? Let me know by voting in the poll below, or in the comments!