The NFL’s 2026 season opened on Wednesday 9 September with a record 28 Canadians on 53-man rosters, the most in league history. This tracker lists every one of them by team and position, with their 2025 numbers, what they did in Week 1 and who they face in Week 2. We refresh it each week as depth charts move and injuries hit, so bookmark it and check back after every Sunday.
Ontario supplies 15 of the 28. Alberta (four), British Columbia (three), Quebec (two), Manitoba and Nova Scotia (one each) and two dual citizens make up the rest. Three teams carry three Canadians apiece: the Buffalo Bills, the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Week 1 in review: how the Canadians fared
Canadians scored five touchdowns before Monday night. Chuba Hubbard had two of them, one rushing and one receiving, in Carolina’s 59-37 loss to Chicago, and finished with 87 yards from scrimmage. Chase Brown ran 16 times for 56 yards and a score and caught five passes as Cincinnati beat Tampa Bay 33-27. Joshua Palmer turned his only catch into a 34-yard touchdown in Buffalo’s 36-31 win at Houston, and Elic Ayomanor scored Tennessee’s touchdown, an 11-yarder, in a 23-10 loss to the Jets.
The biggest yardage belonged to Dalton Kincaid: five catches for 130 yards in that Bills win, the most receiving yards by any Canadian in the opening week. On defence, Jevon Holland intercepted Dallas and broke up another pass in the Giants’ 28-20 win, Tavius Robinson had a sack in Baltimore’s 41-23 win at Indianapolis, and Sydney Brown started at safety for Atlanta and made seven combined tackles. Akheem Mesidor, the first-round pick from Ottawa, made his NFL debut for the Chargers and recorded two combined tackles.
Six of the 28 were inactive on game day: John Metchie III and Albert Reese IV (Panthers), Isaiah Adams (Cardinals), Logan Taylor and Deane Leonard (Chargers), and Kurtis Rourke, the 49ers’ third quarterback. Giovanni Manu remains on Detroit’s reserve/non-football injury list and cannot return before Week 5. Alex Singleton’s Broncos close the week at Kansas City on Monday night; his line will be added after the game.
The headline Canadians in 2026
Chase Brown (RB, Cincinnati Bengals) is the breakout. The London, Ontario product ran for 1,019 yards and reached the end zone 11 times in 2025 (six rushing, five receiving) across all 17 games, and he opened 2026 with a touchdown as the Bengals’ feature back. He is the most productive Canadian skill player in the league.
Chuba Hubbard (RB, Carolina Panthers), from Sherwood Park, Alberta, is the other Canadian starting in an NFL backfield. A knock cut his 2025 short at 511 rushing yards, but he opened 2026 with two touchdowns and remains Carolina’s lead back.
The Brown twins. In a first for the Canadian game, identical twins from London, Ontario both hold down NFL roles: Chase in Cincinnati and his brother Sydney Brown (S, Atlanta Falcons), a defensive back who moved from Philadelphia this offseason and started in Week 1. Same hometown, same college (Illinois), same birthday.
Akheem Mesidor (Edge, Los Angeles Chargers) is the new name to know. The Chargers took the 25-year-old Ottawa pass rusher 22nd overall in the 2026 draft out of Miami, and he was in the rotation from his first game. He joins fellow Canadians Deane Leonard and Logan Taylor in Los Angeles.
Kurtis Rourke (QB, San Francisco 49ers) is the rarest thing on this list: a Canadian quarterback on an NFL roster. The Oakville, Ontario passer is the 49ers’ No. 3 and was inactive in Week 1, as third quarterbacks usually are, but simply being there matters north of the border.
At the catch point, Elic Ayomanor (WR, Tennessee Titans) of Medicine Hat, Alberta backed up a strong rookie year (41 catches, 515 yards, four touchdowns) and is now a starter; Dalton Kincaid (TE, Buffalo Bills), a dual citizen, and Theo Johnson (TE, New York Giants) of Windsor, Ontario each posted five receiving touchdowns in 2025. Brampton, Ontario alone sends two receivers to the NFL in Joshua Palmer (Bills) and John Metchie III (Panthers).
On defence, Alex Singleton (LB, Denver Broncos) is a tackle machine with 135 combined stops in 2025, Jevon Holland (S, New York Giants) of Coquitlam, B.C. anchors a secondary after his move from Miami, and Benjamin St-Juste (CB, Green Bay Packers) of Montreal brings ball skills (seven passes defended in 2025). Up front, Tavius Robinson (Ravens, 4.5 sacks in 2025) and David Onyemata, a University of Manitoba product now with the Jets, lead a deep group of Canadian linemen.
Canadian NFL players 2026: offence
| Player | Pos | Team | Hometown | 2025 production | Week 1 | Week 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | RB | Cincinnati Bengals | London, ON | 1,019 rush yds, 6 TD; 69 rec, 437 yds, 5 TD | 16 car, 56 yds, 1 TD; 5 rec, 22 yds (W 33-27 vs TB) | at Houston, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Chuba Hubbard | RB | Carolina Panthers | Sherwood Park, AB | 511 rush yds, 1 TD; 30 rec, 223 yds, 3 TD | 10 car, 49 yds, 1 TD; 3 rec, 38 yds, 1 TD (L 37-59 vs CHI) | at Atlanta, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Elic Ayomanor | WR | Tennessee Titans | Medicine Hat, AB | 41 rec, 515 yds, 4 TD | 1 rec, 11 yds, 1 TD (L 10-23 vs NYJ) | vs Philadelphia, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Joshua Palmer | WR | Buffalo Bills | Brampton, ON | 22 rec, 303 yds | 1 rec, 34 yds, 1 TD (W 36-31 at HOU) | vs Detroit, Thu 8:15 p.m. ET |
| John Metchie III | WR | Carolina Panthers | Brampton, ON | 33 rec, 274 yds, 2 TD (Jets and Eagles) | Inactive (L 37-59 vs CHI) | at Atlanta, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Jared Wayne | WR | Houston Texans | Peterborough, ON | 2 rec, 20 yds (1 game) | 1 rec, 12 yds (L 31-36 vs BUF) | vs Cincinnati, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | Buffalo Bills | Dual citizen | 39 rec, 571 yds, 5 TD | 5 rec, 130 yds (W 36-31 at HOU) | vs Detroit, Thu 8:15 p.m. ET |
| Theo Johnson | TE | New York Giants | Windsor, ON | 45 rec, 528 yds, 5 TD | 1 rec, 9 yds (W 28-20 vs DAL) | at L.A. Rams, Mon 8:15 p.m. ET |
| Kurtis Rourke | QB | San Francisco 49ers | Oakville, ON | Did not play (No. 3 QB) | Inactive, No. 3 QB (W 27-7 at LA) | vs Miami, Sun 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Matthew Bergeron | OL | Atlanta Falcons | Victoriaville, QC | Starting left guard, 15 games | Started at LG (L 13-20 at PIT) | vs Carolina, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Alaric Jackson | OL | Los Angeles Rams | Windsor, ON | Starting left tackle | Started at LT (L 7-27 vs SF) | vs N.Y. Giants, Mon 8:15 p.m. ET |
| Isaiah Adams | OL | Arizona Cardinals | Ajax, ON | Starting right guard, 17 games | Inactive (W 26-14 at LAC) | vs Seattle, Sun 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Theo Benedet | OL | Chicago Bears | North Vancouver, BC | Started at left tackle from October | Played, reserve OL (W 59-37 at CAR) | vs Minnesota, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Albert Reese IV | OT | Carolina Panthers | Edmonton, AB | Rookie: 2026 undrafted (Mississippi State) | Inactive (L 37-59 vs CHI) | at Atlanta, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Logan Taylor | G | Los Angeles Chargers | Lunenburg, NS | Rookie: 2026 sixth-round pick (Boston College) | Inactive (L 14-26 vs ARI) | vs Las Vegas, Sun 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Giovanni Manu | OL | Detroit Lions | Pitt Meadows, BC | 2024 fourth-round pick (UBC); knee injury Oct 2025 | Reserve/NFI list, out until at least Week 5 | at Buffalo, Thu 8:15 p.m. ET (out) |
Canadian NFL players 2026: defence
| Player | Pos | Team | Hometown | 2025 production | Week 1 | Week 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Singleton | LB | Denver Broncos | Dual citizen | 135 combined tackles, 1 sack | Monday night at Kansas City (result pending) | vs Jacksonville, Sun 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Jevon Holland | S | New York Giants | Coquitlam, BC | 59 tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD | 2 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD (W 28-20 vs DAL) | at L.A. Rams, Mon 8:15 p.m. ET |
| Sydney Brown | S | Atlanta Falcons | London, ON | 20 tackles (Eagles) | Started; 7 combined tackles (L 13-20 at PIT) | vs Carolina, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Benjamin St-Juste | CB | Green Bay Packers | Montreal, QC | 29 tackles, 1 INT, 7 PD (Chargers) | Played; no tackles recorded (L 22-39 at MIN) | at N.Y. Jets, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Deane Leonard | CB | Los Angeles Chargers | Calgary, AB | Depth / special teams (8 games) | Inactive (L 14-26 vs ARI) | vs Las Vegas, Sun 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Akheem Mesidor | Edge | Los Angeles Chargers | Ottawa, ON | Rookie: 2026 first-round pick, No. 22 (Miami) | NFL debut; 2 combined tackles (L 14-26 vs ARI) | vs Las Vegas, Sun 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Tavius Robinson | Edge | Baltimore Ravens | Guelph, ON | 28 tackles, 4.5 sacks | Started; 3 combined tackles, 1 sack (W 41-23 at IND) | vs New Orleans, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Michael Hoecht | Edge | Buffalo Bills | Oakville, ON | 2 sacks (2 games) | 2 combined tackles (W 36-31 at HOU) | vs Detroit, Thu 8:15 p.m. ET |
| Wesley Bailey | Edge | Los Angeles Rams | Ottawa, ON | Rookie: 2026 undrafted (Louisville) | NFL debut; played (L 7-27 vs SF) | vs N.Y. Giants, Mon 8:15 p.m. ET |
| David Onyemata | DL | New York Jets | Winnipeg, MB | 62 tackles, 1 sack (Falcons) | Started; no tackles recorded (W 23-10 at TEN) | vs Green Bay, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Nathan Shepherd | DL | New Orleans Saints | Ajax, ON | 47 tackles, 3 sacks | Started; 3 combined tackles (L 30-31 at DET) | at Baltimore, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Neville Gallimore | DL | Chicago Bears | Ottawa, ON | 38 tackles, 3.5 sacks (Colts) | 1 assisted tackle (W 59-37 at CAR) | vs Minnesota, Sun 1:00 p.m. ET |
On the bubble: linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (Calgary) remains on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad, a call-up away from the active roster. Veteran edge Jesse Luketa is an unrestricted free agent and unsigned as of this update. Neither counts toward the 28.
Week 2: the games to watch for Canadian fans
The Canadian derby is Carolina at Atlanta on Sunday 20 September at 1:00 p.m. ET, with five of the 28 involved: Chuba Hubbard, John Metchie III and Albert Reese IV for the Panthers against Matthew Bergeron and Sydney Brown for the Falcons. The same window has Canadians on both sides in New Orleans at Baltimore (Nathan Shepherd against Tavius Robinson), Green Bay at the Jets (Benjamin St-Juste against David Onyemata) and Cincinnati at Houston (Chase Brown against Jared Wayne).
The Bills’ three Canadians open the week at home to Detroit on Thursday 17 September (8:15 p.m. ET). The Chargers trio host Las Vegas at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, and the week closes with Giants at Rams on Monday 21 September (8:15 p.m. ET), where Jevon Holland and Theo Johnson face Alaric Jackson and Wesley Bailey. Times are Eastern. For Canadian TV and streaming options see our guide to how to watch the NFL in Canada, and for odds and where to bet on these games start at our NFL betting hub. Every franchise has its own page in our NFL teams index.
Canadians in the NFL: frequently asked questions
Twenty-eight Canadians made opening 53-man rosters for 2026, the most in league history. As of Week 1, 27 are on active rosters and one, Detroit lineman Giovanni Manu, is on the reserve/non-football injury list. This tracker lists all 28 with their status each week.
On production, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown: 1,019 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns in 2025, plus a touchdown in Week 1 of 2026. Buffalo tight end Dalton Kincaid (130 receiving yards in Week 1) and Denver linebacker Alex Singleton (135 tackles in 2025) lead the rest.
Yes. Kurtis Rourke of Oakville, Ontario is the No. 3 quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers in 2026. He was inactive for Week 1, as third quarterbacks usually are.
Ontario, by a wide margin. Fifteen of the 28 Canadians on 2026 opening rosters are from Ontario, ahead of Alberta (four), British Columbia (three) and Quebec (two).
Three teams carry three Canadians each in 2026: the Buffalo Bills (Joshua Palmer, Dalton Kincaid, Michael Hoecht), the Carolina Panthers (Chuba Hubbard, John Metchie III, Albert Reese IV) and the Los Angeles Chargers (Akheem Mesidor, Deane Leonard, Logan Taylor).
Rosters, statuses and statistics as of Monday 14 September 2026, before Broncos at Chiefs. Opening-roster count per TSN; nationality and hometowns per TSN and 3DownNation; statistics via Sportradar. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly: ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600.