Edmonton Elks sign former NFL QB Cole McDonald

Photo: AP/Mark Humphrey

The Edmonton Elks have signed former NFL quarterback Cole McDonald.

The six-foot-four, 220-pound passer was a seventh-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in the 2020 NFL Draft and also had a stint with the Arizona Cardinals, though he never dressed for a regular season game with either team.

The native of La Mirada, Calif. signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 2021 and made one appearance with the club, completing four-of-eight pass attempts for 45 yards. He most recently played with the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL, starting two games in 2023.

McDonald played collegiately at the University of Hawaii where he completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 8,032 yards, 70 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. He also ran the ball 251 times for 880 yards and 12 touchdowns and was named the MVP of the Hawaii Bowl in 2019.

He showed solid athleticism at the 2020 NFL Combine, running a 4.58 forty-yard dash, a 7.13 three-cone drill, and leaping a 36-inch vertical jump.

The Elks will open their preseason on Saturday, May 25 when they host the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Commonwealth Stadium.