Can a 'pig farmer' making his first CFL start at QB end 'The Curse of The Brown-bino' for the Redblacks?

Five months ago, Bryson Barnes arrived in a land and a league he knew nothing about.

“When I first stepped off the plane at the airport here, it was cold,” the 25-year-old from Milford, Ohio, (population 1,451) remembered Thursday at TD Place. “I was like, ‘It’s May. What are we doing? Why is it so cold up here? So that was the first learning curve.

“Then the other part, all of a sudden people are speaking French, and I’m like, “Man, that’s all so different. It’s cold up here. We’re speaking French … Oh, and now this game of football, it’s completely different than any type of football I’ve ever seen in my life.

“So there were a couple of things that were just kind of like … well, this is a lot different.”

So is the situation he’s being parachuted into.

Making his first start as a pro quarterback — and first start since Dec. 22, when he completed nine of 21 passes for 116 yards, along with throwing an interception and scoring a rushing touchdown as his Utah State Aggies lost 34-21 to the Washington State Cougars in the 2025 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl — Barnes will be trying to end what’s beginning to look like “The Curse of The Brown-bino” when the Ottawa Redblacks host the Toronto Argos on Friday night in their home finale for this season.

After failed attempts by Jake Maier and MacLeod Bethel-Thompson, the former employee at his parents’ big farm will attempt to lead the Redblacks to their first victory since a 34-33 nail-biter against the B.C. Lions two Sept. 5’s ago.

Dustin Crum was Ottawa’s quarterback that night, but he was never considered a bona fide starter by the club and was only filling in for the injured Dru Brown, who lost his job to Maier at training camp this spring and subsequently asked for and received a trade to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Redblacks’ drought is now 406 days and includes a franchise losing streak that has reached 22 games, along with a one-season Canadian Football League record of 16 in 2026 for those still counting.

In one sense, the last game at TD Place this season is a no-lose situation for Barnes because he’s not expected to win.

On the other hand, how he performs against the Argos could help determine his future, if he has one, in the CFL.

“There are a lot of narratives that can be painted after this game of what the future might be,” Barnes said. “But I think the biggest thing, and what I said to the guys today, is just go out there, take it one play at a time, regardless of what that scoreboard looks like.

“Go out there, try to win each rep, try to win each play, and, if you lose one play, get right up to the next play and try to win that one. So that’s going to be kind of the mentality, regardless of what the scoreboard is, and we’ll see what that scoreboard says if we go into it one play at a time and just try to win each rep.”

Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie has resisted turning to Barnes until now because he’s been determined to get that first win for the team and has believed both of his veteran QBs, Maier and Bethel-Thompson, gave the team a better chance to get it.

But Dinwiddie, who noted Barnes’ competitiveness when he watched his college tape, has liked what he’s seen from Barnes as Ottawa’s short-yardage QB (41 carries for 95 yards and a team-leading nine touchdowns) and in practice.

“For the most part, he’s got a decent grasp of our offence,” Dinwiddie said. “I feel like the kid’s got a shot. He can run and throw it. He’s a big, physical kid, and he’s a good leader.”

But in the moment, his lack of experience presents a big obstacle for Barnes.

“It was like drinking water through a fire hose … that was the term that I would use when I first got here,” Barnes said. “There was a lot to learn. I didn’t know anything about the CFL. I kind of had a good idea about 12 people on the field, but that was about it. The motions and just another defender on defence, that’s also been a learning curve. And, yeah, it was a lot at first, but I feel like the more exposure I get to just seeing the game and watching film the more normal it starts to become.

“I do feel good about the way my game kind of carries over up here,” he added. “Just being able to throw the ball downfield, but also being able to extend plays and use my legs in a scramble drill, whether that’s crossing the line of scrimmage with my legs or getting outside the pocket and throwing it downfield. That’s what I feel can help complement my game up here.”

How long is Barnes’ rope?

Naturally, Dinwiddie said he wanted Barnes to play the whole game, but he’ll also turn to his backup, Bethel-Thompson, if he has to.

“We’ll see how the game goes,” Dinwiddie said. “We can’t just pull the plug on the experiment right away because he has a few bad drives. We’ve got to let him go through some growing pains in the game. But, at the same time, we want to win the football game. So it will be a ‘see’ thing, a feel thing, as far as we need to get a win, and, if we need to make a change, we’ll probably go that route.”

Clearly frustrated after last Friday’s 41-20 loss to the Lions in B.C. — a game they trailed just 21-12 through two quarters — Bethel-Thompson told TSN1200’s AJ Jakubec that the Redblacks had no game plan in the second half.

MBT, who completed 25 of 35 passes for 253 yards along with a TD toss and a pick while going the distance, also said Barnes should be the starter.

“We sat down and talked about it yesterday,” Dinwiddie said Thursday. “So we’re obviously moving on to our (next) opponent, but it’s something we needed to discuss, and we both sat down, had a good conversation, and we’re moving forward.”

What about the lack of a game plan?

“I would just say we talked at halftime, and we were going to screen them a little bit more,” Dinwiddie said. “That was our plan. When we’re stuck in second-and-long, it’s tough to move the chains screening, right? So we can say we want to do something, but, if we don’t get the opportunity to execute that stuff, you don’t go screen on second-and-long. Yeah, we might slow down the rush a little bit, but we’re punting, so you’ve got to call what’s right for the game flow and the down and distance.”

To Barnes’ detriment, the Redblacks will be without veteran slotback Justin Hardy, who missed practice this week with a leg injury.

Hardy leads Ottawa receivers with 89 catches for 1,123 yards and his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season.

“He’s a security blanket for our quarterbacks,” Dinwiddie said. “So that’s going to be a big loss.”

Making his CFL debut in Hardy’s place will be Grant Dubose, a 6-2, 200-pounder out of Coastal Carolina.

“He’s got a big catch radius,” Dinwiddie said. “He’s not a burner, but he can get open. He’s only been here for about six weeks, but I thought he had good practices and adjusted to some blitz in our protection, so I thought he’s got a good grasp of our offence right now.”