CFL vs. NFL: Is There a Monopoly on Talent in Professional Football?

I recently had a discussion with a friend of mine over a bucket of beers about the NFL and the CFL. We eventually got on the topic of talent, and we found ourselves on the opposite sides of an argument. My friend believed there was a significant gap between the level of talent in the NFL compared to that north of the border.

I had to disagree, but not completely.

Pound-for-pound, I believe the CFL has players just as talented as those in the NFL. There is no way you can tell me the starters on the Raiders or the Jaguars are that much better than those on the Eskimos or the Blue Bombers.

You also can't make the argument that the NFL has higher quality players throughout their rosters, because that isn't accurate. Anyone who still wants to make that argument must not have seen the sad quality of play after halftime this NFL preseason.

What contributes to this skewed view of the Canadian product?

Well, there are a few things. The average pay for a player in the CFL is significantly less than in the NFL, which drives talent south. The CFL cap of around $4.25 million keeps the rosters thin and the pay rate low. The increase in salary caps in the past few years has done a lot to keep the CFL competitive, but one thing is always a factor—the taxes.

At a rate of around 50 percent, players in Canada often choose to head south to the bigger stage and higher pay of the NFL if they have the chance. But let's not forget, Canada produces football players too. And kids in Edmonton grow up wanting to be an Eskimo, not a Viking.

But this was a discussion about talent, not pay.

I decided to look at the stats from all of pro football in the quarterback position. Much to my surprise, the quarterback with the most passing yards was from the CFL. Damon Allen tops the list with over 72,000 yards and nearly 400 touchdowns. Second on the list was Warren Moon, who played both north and south of the border. Third on the list is Brett Farve, and closely behind him is the only player in the top five that is still playing, Anthony Calvillo of the Montreal Alouettes.

In records for receiving, we would have to drop T.O. to fourth place to make room for CFL-great Milt Stegall on a list of all-time receiving yards. Now, some might say that CFL receivers have faced weaker defenses, but that argument doesn't hold water for me. 

The gap that exists between the NFL and the CFL has little to do with style of play or the passion of the fan base. It has more to do with economics and image.

If you were to look at the United States and Canada as one big league, the pool talent would be would be fairly evenly distributed. To me, it's pretty clear that the bottom of the NFL is nowhere near the top of the CFL. This misconception will continue as long as young, high-profile players choose the NFL.

And the pool of talent will always seem tilted towards the south, maybe a little more than it really is.