Photo courtesy: CFL

As one CFL source summed it up, ‘He’s different.’ That was in reference to Davis Alexander’s excellent performance in his return to the starting quarterback role with the Montreal Alouettes.

“He’s worked extremely hard, a lot of lonely time to get back and put it all on the line again. Our whole team feels a bit different. He’s won every game he’s started for us; it’s hard not to believe when he’s out there. Does Davis make us a better football team? Absolutely. There’s proof in that,” head coach Jason Maas said post-game.

“The stats will show you that, the record will show you that — there’s a belief there. But there’s also a belief if it so happens he doesn’t play for us, we can still win without him. I’d prefer not to have to worry about that, I’d rather him finish the season as strong as possible and be our starting quarterback every game. He elevates people’s play; that’s what he does when he’s on the football field. There’s a confidence that goes with it.”

Alexander completed 26-of-38 passes for a single-game, career-high 350 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while rushing one time for eight yards in a convincing 38-20 win over the Calgary Stampeders in Week 17. The 26-year-old’s outing was his first start for Montreal since Week 7, after he missed eight games with a hamstring injury.

“I was coasting a little bit. I’m going to choose my spots carefully. I definitely played a little more cautious, which was part of the game plan. I appreciate the coaches and I appreciate the training staff for putting trust in me. I told them I could tone it down — I can be a gamer in other ways than with my legs,” Alexander said, referring to his left hamstring.

“It’s definitely sore, but it’s a different feeling than what it was two months ago. This bye week is massive. I don’t want to get into too many details. We don’t play again until [October] 13, I feel pretty good. It’s a different type of soreness; it’s hard to simulate game stress. That’s why it was very important for me to play this game. We come back, we play on [October] 13 and then 18, that’s a pretty tough ask for me 83 days later.”

The five-foot-11, 210-pound signal caller made CFL history by becoming the first QB to start a career with nine straight wins. He has gone a perfect 5-0 in 2025 to go along with a 4-0 record last year while filling in for Cody Fajardo. Alexander surpassed the previous mark set by Hall of Famer Danny McManus, who went 8-0 to begin his CFL career. Bo Levi Mitchell and Jeff Garcia started 7-0 in the CFL, while Darian Durant, Damon Allen, Joe Zuger and Jim Van Pelt went 6-0.

“The record shows that,” Maas confirmed when asked if the Alouettes are a different team with Alexander on the field. “He’s a starter for a reason. We anointed him back in January to be the starter for a reason; he proves it every time he’s on that field. He gives us hope, he gives us belief, he gives us everything he has. The best thing about him, he competes as hard as anybody, and that’s the expectation. He elevates people’s play, bottom line.”

Montreal has posted a 3-7 record when Alexander has been sidelined in 2025. McLeod Bethel-Thompson won those three games while filling in for QB1 as the highest-paid backup passer in the league. Defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe’s unit helped the Als win when MBT was the starter, and Alexander gave credit to that unit for its effort against Vernon Adams Jr. at Percival Molson Stadium.

“When you’re playing with a lead and you have the best defence in the league, it doesn’t feel like I have to be out there playing super-hero ball,” Alexander said.

Alexander plans to stay in Montreal during the team’s bye week and continue treatment on his hamstring for the stretch run.