All-star centre Sean McEwen expects to be good to go for Ottawa Redblacks CFL season opener

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“It’s a difficult thing to prove that you’re ready to go, right? You can show like medical testing numbers and stuff like that, but there’s always going to be that doubt, I think, from a front-office perspective. But there was never that doubt in my own mind that I could play this game again.”

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What does McEwen bring to the Redblacks’ table?

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The careers of McEwen and Dinwiddie, the Redblacks new head coach/offensive coordinator/GM, have crossed paths, but never collided.

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Toronto made McEwen the third-overall pick of the CFL draft in 2015 and he spent three seasons (2016-19) in Double Blue before signing in Calgary, just after Dinwiddie left the Stampeders to become coach of the Argos.

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Dinwiddie almost broke into a rare smile when asked how good it was to see McEwen on the field with the other starters.

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“It’s great, he’s been itching to get back out there,” Dinwiddie said. “We want to be smart with him. He got his first team reps and we’ll see what we’re going to do about whether he’s going to play on Friday (in the preseason finale at TD Place).

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“I know who Sean is. He’s got a good understanding of the offence, making O-line calls. So we’ll be smart with that.”

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Dinwiddie noted that McEwen brings intangibles to his offence.

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“He’s played in it, so our protection is very similar to what he’s used to in Calgary,” Dinwiddie said. “And his time in Saskatchewan … we’re all kind of from the same family in how we want to protect things.

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“He’s sharp. I think he’s great for the room. Veteran presence, he’s been there, done that, been a winner, won (two) Grey Cups (with Calgary, Saskatchewan). So I think that he’s going to elevate that room.”

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Will McEwen be ready for the season opener on June 6?

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If not, Ottawa’s starting centre will be Sam Carson, a Kelowna, B.C., native they selected in the second round (12th overall) of the 2025 draft.

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But, ideally, it will be McEwen snapping the ball against the Edmonton Elks.

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“I want to keep hope out for that,” Dinwiddie said, “but I think Sam Carson’s had a great camp. He took the next step, and they have a great relationship, too. Sean is making Sam better. So I’m hoping for the best.”

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McEwen, meanwhile, fully expects to make his Redblacks debut in Game 1.

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“It was awesome,” he said of being a full participant at practice again. “It’s been a long time coming. Probably have some rest to shake off, but it felt good. I’ve been waiting for that for a while.

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“My goal is to play in the first regular-season game. And I’m going to do everything possible to make that happen.”

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What about the rust?

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“Part of it’s kind of like riding a bike, but just usually it’s like there are things that I just need to do better,” McEwen said. “It might feel OK, but then I’ll go back and watch it on tape … I’m sure this practice, I’ll go back and watch on tape, and think, ‘OK, I should probably do this a little differently, step a little bit more this way.’ But it’ll come quickly, I’m not too worried about it.”

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What about the cohesion with a new group of O-linemen that is so important?

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“I’ve always gotten along well with good football players,” McEwen said. “When you think alike, you tend to get along faster and stuff like that.

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“The group of guys in that locker room is awesome. I’ve thought highly of a lot of those guys for a long time, and just being around them in person, I think even higher of them.”

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