Reports are that Ottawa might finally give QB Tyrie Adams some snaps. For those that don’t know who Adams is, he has been with Ottawa since the beginning of the season residing on the practice squad primarily. When he signed with Ottawa however, he was a long shot to even make the team.
Could Adams Finally See Snaps?
The former 2021 CIF offensive rookie of the year, joined the Redblacks in April of 2022. He was at the time still playing for the Salina Liberty. The Liberty under the guidance of Adams had been one of the best teams in the Champions Indoor Football League. Reaching the championship game in 2021, and following it up with another appearance in 2022 that ended in victory.
Whether Adams knows it or not, he has put the CIF on the map. Many players point to his elevation to the CFL, as motivation to sign with the league. This year’s crop of quarterbacks could see a few receive consideration from outdoor teams once again with former IFL names on several teams. Adams was always a prolific quarterback dating back to his days in high school.
In high school, Adams was a two-year starter, also playing in 4 games as a sophomore. During those 24 games, he managed to put up amazing statistics.
Accounting for a total of 6,856 yards or an average of 258.7 yards per game. Adams also managed to collect 74 total touchdowns to just 36 interceptions, and 4 lost fumbles. After graduating, he found himself headed to Western Carolina University.
College Career Only Grows the Legend
Upon entering college, Adams was asked to redshirt as a freshman. Entering college at 6’2 175 lbs, Adams was one of the taller, skinnier quarterbacks in the college landscape. This redshirt season allowed him to hit the weight room hard, and over the next couple of years, he gained 10 lbs and became a much more well-rounded quarterback due to this.
He would end up having a record-setting career for Western Carolina. Playing in just 44 games, Adams accounted for 11,535 yards total. Adams displayed his dual-threat ability falling just shy of 3,000 career rushing yards in his four seasons with the team. With 594 rushing attempts, Adams still managed a 4.3-yard per-carry average from 2016-2019.
His passing numbers are what should have led to more consideration at the next level. However, his relatively small frame at just 185 lbs, held him back from more interest. Despite attempting nearly 1,200 passes in just 44 games, Adams carried a completion rate of over 63% nothing to sneeze at. He also averaged over 200 yards per game passing, producing a 2 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio along the way.
Despite his performance, he would find himself undrafted, and without options to play in the more well-known leagues. Adams was also hampered by his timing. In late 2019, or early 2020 right when he would have been holding a pro-day in a regular season, covid 19 reared its ugly head and prevented him from playing at all until 2021. That’s when Adams signed with the Salina Liberty.
This would pair Adams with Heron O’Neal. O’Neal is best known for winning championships in both the IFL and CIF at this point, he was also inducted into the IFL Hall of Fame. This just shows the kind of coaching Adams would receive for the next season and a half before Ottawa came calling. Not only did Adams live up to the expectations he garnered due to his college performance, but he exceeded them.
In Salina, it seemed Adams took his abilities to new heights. A man who once held a steady 2 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio through high school, and college, improved on these numbers dramatically.
In 2021 while playing on a more condensed indoor football field, Adams managed to rack up 944 yards and a 70.9% completion rate. Producing 23 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions, this performance opened a lot of eyes and silenced a lot of doubters. Some eyes that were opened happened to be in Ottawa with the Redblacks.
Despite lacking initial interest, the Adams deal came together very quickly after his performance over the 2021 season. Less than one day after being called up, Adams was in contract and on his way to Canada. Since arriving, Adams was buried on a depth chart that included the 2021 starter Caleb Evans, newcomer Jeremiah Masoli, and a legend in his own right Devlin “Duck” Hodges. Before the season even began, Hodges retired, and later they signed former Kansas City Chiefs QB Dustin Crum.
However, after an injury to Masoli, poor play from Evans, and the trade acquisition of Nick Arbuckle, it might finally be time for Adams to show what he can do in the CFL. Playoff hopes have gone out the window, and Evans was still named the starter for this week. Leaked information has Adams getting in the game at some point to get live game reps at this level. With the season all but over, I have been calling for this move for weeks. With the abysmal quarterback play following Masoli’s injury, there was no reason to wait to make this move. Adams couldn’t have made the situation any worse if he had actively tried.
Alas, a larger chance to succeed wasn’t in the cards. Now we head into the final week of the regular season and Adams will reportedly be given a shot to play. The only question now is, can he prove to be a long-term option for the Redblacks during this game?
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