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CFL.ca Staff TORONTO — Bo Levi Mitchell has set a very high standard of play with his career. The pivot amassed 39,023 passing yards, 239 total touchdowns, two Grey Cups (2014, 2018), two Most Outstanding Player awards (2016, 2018) and three All-CFL appearances (2016, 2018, 2024) with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders. That means that every time he takes the field, the entire football world expects excellence. But for the veteran, it’s not about focusing on what everyone else expects of him, but instead on trusting his own abilities. “The expectations from the outside world, whether it’s a fan, coaches, your teammates, they all expect you to be you,” said Mitchell as part of his Unreal Stories . “Stop trying to live up to somebody else’s expectations for my own pressure and continue to build who I know I am as a player.” RELATED » MMQB: Ranking the CFL’s top 3 defensive ends » 3 high-impact Canadian players from every CFL team » 5 comeback stories waiting to be written in 2025 » Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates After an injury cut his first season with the Tiger-Cats short, Mitchell threw for 5,451 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2024 on his way to being named the East Division’s Most Outstanding Player in his second year with Hamilton. That performance reassured everyone that the pivot was still among the best in his position across the league and positioned the Ticats to be aggressive in free agency looking to add to an offence that led the league in total yards. Hamilton signed receiver Kenny Lawler to add to a group that already featured Tim White and Shemar Bridges , building what looks to be one of the most explosive offences in the league, at least on paper. That will make expectations soar even higher, but Mitchell and the ‘Cats know that all that matters is their own confidence in themselves. As fate would have it, the first test to that confidence will be a battle against Mitchell’s former team on June 7, when the Tiger-Cats face the Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.
