Last week, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats found themselves one step away from returning to the Grey Cup Championship game. All that stood in their way was a home game against the Montreal Alouettes. Unfortunately for Hamilton, that home game did not go as expected, leaving the Tiger-Cats with a sour taste in their mouth after losing 19-16 to Montreal.
That loss in the East Finals immediately changed the mindset of the Tiger-Cats from trying to pursue their first Grey Cup since 1999 to making major personnel decisions for the 2026 season. Currently, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats do not technically have a general manager after Ted Goveia's passing during the season. Rumors suggested that the Tiger-Cats asked head coach Scott Milanovich to take on a dual role as general manager and head coach, but he declined, feeling it would compromise his ability to serve effectively as head coach.
Add a General Manager, Change the Head Coach, or Both?
That decision opened the door for the Tiger-Cats to explore other options. According to a report from 3 Down Nation, the Tiger-Cats have requested permission from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to talk to their current head coach, Mike O'Shea, and their assistant general manager, Danny McManus. It is likely that Hamilton is interested in adding either O'Shea or McManus as their new general manager. However, with O'Shea having only coaching experience, there is a possibility that Hamilton could be exploring a move with Scott Milanovich.
It would make sense to hire O'Shea and McManus as a package, as they already have experience working together to build a championship-caliber team. So would O'Shea become the head coach and McManus the GM? Would that push Scott Milanovich out the door? Or would Milanovich return to being the offensive coordinator for the Tiger-Cats? It is unlikely that those questions will be answered over the next few days, but they are important things to keep an eye on going forward.
Who will be the Tiger-Cats Quarterback in 2026?
Another big question the Tiger-Cats need to answer sooner rather than later is who will be their starting quarterback in 2026. At the end of the season, the Tiger-Cats had four quarterbacks on their roster, and all four are going to become free agents in January if the Tiger-Cats do not re-sign them sooner. Scott Milanovich made it known that he would prefer Bo Levi Mitchell to return as the Tiger-Cats' quarterback.
Unfortunately, the business is not as simple as just filling a role. Due to the success of Mitchell the last two seasons, the Tiger-Cats would need to be prepared to pay Mitchell the most money they have ever paid any player. And it is unclear whether Mitchell will continue playing or retire. Some would say that he should not retire because Hamilton did not win the Grey Cup, but Mitchell has already won Grey Cups.
If Mitchell does not return to Hamilton, or if Hamilton does not want to play Mitchell, then Hamilton will be back where they were a few years ago. That means they will be back looking for a franchise quarterback to build their roster around. At this time, it is unclear in which direction the Tiger-Cats will go with their quarterback position, but this will likely be the most important decision Hamilton has made over the last several seasons.
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