During the offseason, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have focused on adding more power to their offensive line and stacking their receiving unit with elite playmakers, including Kenny Lawler. However, the Tiger-Cats failed to address their needs at the running back position after they allowed Greg Bell to leave as a free agent. While Hamilton did re-sign running back Johnny Augustine, they failed to obtain a workhorse back that could become the heart of their offensive attack.
In addition, the 2026 CFL draft pool lacks a game-breaking back who can fill the role Brady Oliviera brings to the CFL. Over the course of the last few seasons, a clear trend has emerged that if a team wants to win a Grey Cup, they need a running back who can pick up hard yards and keep their offensive unit on schedule. Arguably, Bell was a serviceable running back for Hamilton, but he was not the workhorse that the Tiger-Cats have needed to push themselves over the edge to become a championship team.
Hamilton’s signing of American running back Micah Bernard could be the missing piece in the Tiger-Cats’ championship lineup.
American running back Micah Bernard is coming to Hamilton after spending the 2025 NFL season with the New England Patriots. Bernard emerged as an effective running back during six seasons at the University of Utah from 2019 to 2024. During that time, Bernard played in 51 games for the Utes, rushing 421 times for 2,217 yards and scoring 11 rushing touchdowns. In addition, Bernard caught 99 passes for 787 receiving yards and 5 touchdown receptions.
The 5’10”, 206-pound Bernard has developed a reputation for being a physical runner who has the ability to finish runs due to his strength and balance. In addition, Bernard has displayed his versatility while playing cornerback at Utah, along with spending time at running back. As a running back, Bernard is an effective power back, but he also has the ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Bernard’s ability to make plays between the tackles and outside the box gives the Tiger-Cats a weapon that will add balance to their offensive attack.
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