GUELPH, ONT. — Canadian offensive lineman Dakoda Shepley is preparing for his first season with the Toronto Argonauts after signing with the Canadian Football League team in January 2025. The 31-year-old Windsor, Ontario, native is expected to play guard for the Argonauts.

Shepley stands six-foot-five and weighs 290 pounds, and has played all three positions on the offensive line. He played collegiate football at the University of British Columbia, where he was a four-year starter at right tackle and guard, earned a Vanier Cup ring in 2015, and was a Canada West all-star at right tackle as a senior.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders selected him in the first round, fifth overall, of the 2018 CFL draft. That same year he signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent. He arrived in Regina in 2019 and started 14 games as a rookie before opting out of his CFL contract after the league canceled the 2020 season due to the global pandemic.

He then signed with the San Francisco 49ers, followed by time with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021, the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, and a second stint with the Cowboys from 2023 to 2025. In total he spent time with six NFL teams and played 16 regular-season NFL games.

His immediate family is from Windsor, while his wife and three-month-old daughter Bowie are in Dallas, which has a direct flight to Toronto. Shepley has played all three positions on the offensive line and said he welcomes the expectations that come with joining the Argonauts.

Last season, the Argonauts led the CFL in sacks allowed with 56 and had the league's worst rushing attack, averaging 51.6 yards per game, while ranking second in the air at 304.6 passing yards per game. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle was sacked 39 times and was shut down for the remainder of the season on October 4 after sustaining a shoulder injury in a loss to Hamilton.

Asked about taking on a leadership role up front, Shepley said, "I think pressure is a privilege. If I'm able to, then I will."

Toronto Argonauts head coach Mike Miller said, "He's a hard worker and I've found him to be a great teammate, very coachable." Miller added that Shepley's standards were influencing the offensive line group. "Dakoda carries himself to a very high standard and has high expectations and I think that's continuing to work its way through that entire room," he said. Miller also said, "I know there's a great deal of respect for him and how he goes about his business and I believe he's an even better person."