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Keeping quarterback Davis Alexander healthy another top priority, Danny Maciocia says as he looks for ways to improve team in off-season.
Published Nov 19, 2025 • 4 minute read
Saskatchewan Roughriders swarm Alouettes' Tyson Philpot as he tries to score a touchdown during first half of Grey Cup, in Winnipeg on Sunday.
Saskatchewan Roughriders swarm Alouettes' Tyson Philpot as he tries to score a touchdown during first half of Grey Cup, in Winnipeg on Sunday. Re-signing the receiver "is at the top of my list," Montreal GM Danny Maciocia says. Photo by Fred Greenslade /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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On the day the Alouettes would have held their Grey Cup parade through downtown Montreal, management instead met the media, explaining whey they came up one game short and why it won’t happen again in 2026.
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“It was a season where we had to deal with so many different obstacles,” general manager Danny Maciocia said Wednesday morning at Olympic Stadium. “On the injury front, we were decimated, especially during the month of August. We had close to 11 starters that were out. I don’t even have to tell you what took place at the quarterback position. We had more quarterbacks in our locker room during the regular season than we had going into training camp.”
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There’s no denying the Als have found their franchise quarterback in Davis Alexander. But the 27-year-old played in only seven regular-season games due to a recurring injury to his left hamstring. The injury surfaced in April after overtraining while he prepared for the season. He also had to miss several training camp practices because of it.
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Alexander tweaked the hamstring again during the East Division final against Hamilton, and also late in the CFL championship game against Saskatchewan on Sunday, but he forged ahead both times.
Even with Alexander playing on one leg, the Als were competitive, but lost 25-17 to the Roughriders after short-yardage quarterback Shea Patterson’s fumble at the Saskatchewan three-yard line with fewer than three minutes remaining.
Alexander will be monitored closely this winter to ensure his hamstring doesn’t become an annual issue.
“Whenever you’re tasked with being a franchise quarterback for the first time, human nature is to do too much,” said head coach Jason Maas, a former CFL quarterback. “We’ll sit down with him, look at everything he did and I think he’ll have learned as well — the things that work and the things we can look at doing a little bit differently.
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“In my opinion, this was a direct result of overtraining. A lot of young guys will do more than they ever thought they could do, just to be ready. They feel the more they do, the more ready they’re going to be. Sometimes rest is best. Also, a little bit of it is luck. You work that hard, get a little tweak and think it’s nothing. He worked a little too much because the expectations were high. His expectations were high and he wanted to be there for this team … and the organization that gave him an opportunity. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
While the starting position has been established, one of Maciocia’s priorities this winter will be solidifying the backup role — and determining whether that player is on the roster. McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Patterson and the frequently injured Caleb Evans are three of the potential 22 free agents. James Morgan, who appeared in three games, is under contract.
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Alouettes safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy, a potential free agent this off-season, and defensive-back Wesley Sutton attempt to bring down Saskatchewan Roughriders' Kian Schaffer-Baker during Grey Cup in Winnipeg on Sunday.
Alouettes safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy, a potential free agent this off-season, and defensive-back Wesley Sutton attempt to bring down Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Kian Schaffer-Baker during Grey Cup in Winnipeg on Sunday. Photo by Brent Just /Getty Images
There are four potential free-agent receivers on Montreal’s roster, but Maciocia’s biggest task will be attempting to re-sign Tyson Philpot, a former first-round draft choice who will come at a heavy price. But Philpot has also battled injuries the last two seasons — he missed six games in 2025 — and, although he’s a ratio-changer, the GM must decide how much Philpot is worth while operating under a salary cap that is expected to be at least $6.062 million next season.
Should Philpot get to free agency in February, he could be swayed to play with his twin brother, Jalen, in Calgary.
“Sure, (Philpot) is at the top of my list,” Maciocia said. “But we’ve got to find a way to make it work. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and I’m sure there’s no shortage of will from both ends. Can we make it work?”
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Joining Philpot as a potential free agent are receivers Cole Spieker and Charleston Rambo; five offensive linemen, including starting guards Pier-Olivier Lestage and Donny Ventrelli; defensive-tackle Dylan Wynn; middle-linebacker Darnel Sankey; defensive-backs Dionté Ruffin and Ciante Evans, along with safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy.
“The priority is to win one more game,” Maciocia said. “How are we going to get to that game … and win it? There’s going to be some dialogue (with Mass). We’re going to identify where the priorities lie. Clearly, we want to identify the core and foundation, try to keep that intact.
“We need to improve everywhere. We definitely can get better and get deeper at Canadian receiver. I’d definitely like to address our return game. Improving isn’t necessarily one specific position as a starter. It’s also making sure you have depth at those positions.”
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While Maas said he’d like all of his assistants to return, only Byron Archambault (assistant head coach and special-teams coordinator) and Noel Thorpe (defensive coordinator) are under contract for 2026. Maciocia said no teams have requested permission to speak to any of his coaches. The Toronto Argonauts are seeking a head coach after the departure of Ryan Dinwiddie to Ottawa, where he also becomes GM.
Maciocia said he hopes to have the majority of his heavy lifting accomplished before Christmas. That means the clock is ticking.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
Read More
[Alouettes' Stevie Scott III is upended by Saskatchewan Roughriders' Micah Johnson during first half at the Grey Cup in Winnipeg on Sunday night.
Goal-line flub flipped Grey Cup script for turnover-plagued Alouettes](https://montrealgazette.com/sports/football/montreal-alouettes/goal-line-flub-flipped-grey-cup-script-for-turnover-plagued-alouettes)
2. [Shea Patterson (#7) of the Montreal Alouettes fumbles the ball at the goal line in the 112th Grey Cup, between the Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders at Winnipeg's Princess Auto Stadium on November 16, 2025.
Zurkowsky: Shea Patterson's late-game fumble ends Alouettes' Grey Cup hopes against Saskatchewan](https://montrealgazette.com/sports/football/montreal-alouettes/montreal-alouettes-2025-grey-cup)
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