Cali Martinez Re-Signed for 2025

By Alistair Kirsch-Poole
Dec 4, 2024 - 3:00pm

Old Glory has announced that Canadian prop Cali Martinez will be returning for the 2025 season. The 28-year-old was drafted 3rd overall in 2022 and quickly became a regular on the matchday rosters. He played in 12 matches, one of them as a starter, for a total of 198 minutes on the field in 2023. His role expanded in 2024 with 16 matches played, 4 of them as a starter, and 521 minutes played.

Martinez has primarily played tighthead for Old Glory, but towards the end of last season he came off the bench several times on the loosehead side. He has played exclusively at loosehead for the Canadian national team, raising the question of which side he will play this coming season.

While Martinez has seen great career progress so far at Old Glory, there are two major hurdles for further advancement in 2025. One is called Jack Iscaro, the other is called Steven Longwell. With those two being such stalwarts on either side of the scrum, Martinez will have a tough task trying to acquire more minutes unless one of the two ahead of him gets injured.

Even maintaining his current status as the first choice for the bench isn't guaranteed. With Quentin Newcomer the incumbent for that role on the loosehead side, fellow Canadian Tyler Rowland ac competition on the tighthead side, and the unknown of Kevin Brou returning from injury, it's going to be an all out competition in the prop room.