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The Ottawa Redblacks will be watching the postseason from the outside for the fifth time in six years, and one of their longest tenured players appears to be sick of it.

Speaking to the media on locker-room clean-out day, veteran fullback Marco Dubois did not hold back regarding the team’s situation.

“If you’re not ashamed to be 4-14 right now, there’s a problem with you,” he said. “It’s hard for me to shake hands with the fans right now and look them in the eye, because they give us their money. They come here, they come watch us play, and we give them poor performances like that. Very frustrating, very disappointing. I can’t lie on that.”

Dubois was drafted by the Redblacks in 2018, advancing to the Grey Cup in his rookie season. However, the 31-year-old has played in just one playoff game since then, as the organization has floundered at the bottom of the standings.

“On a personal note, it’s very frustrating, because I’m not used to that. I come from a winning program in university, from Laval University. We’ve always been champions,” he stated. “I come here, we go to the Grey Cup my first year, and then after that, it’s just downhill for the past few years.”

The Redblacks appeared to be on the come-up after last season, earning a berth in the East Semi-Final and losing to the eventual Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts in a shootout. The team posted a 7-1-1 record at home in the process, setting a new high-water mark for success at TD Place.

2025 was a different story, with losses piling up from the start and an early elimination from postseason contention. After Friday’s 35-15 defeat at the hands of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, head coach Bob Dyce was officially relieved of his duties with a year remaining on his contract.

Despite his clear displeasure at the team’s performance, Dubois did not appear to be in agreement that Dyce deserved to shoulder the consequences.

“He’s the best coach I’ve ever had. He helped me have a career in the CFL, and I think his resume talks for itself,” he said, noting that Dyce was on staff as a special teams coordinator for the Redblacks’ only championship.

“I think it is hard to win in this league when you don’t have consistency at the quarterback position. I think we’ve struggled with that with injuries. I was really disappointed. I think he deserves another chance elsewhere.”

Dubois is only a role player on offence, catching two passes for 38 yards this year, but readily pointed out that the unit suffered this season due to the absence of franchise pivot Dru Brown. The 28-year-old was limited to just nine games due to various injuries, which his teammate emphasized was not Brown’s fault.

However, there was blame to be handed out for how the team adapted without their starter. Though he didn’t mention him by name, Dubois openly questioned the strategies employed by offensive coordinator Tommy Condell.

“I think we could run the ball a bit more, rely on our offensive line when this happens, great running backs as well. I think we’re a team that throws the ball a lot. In that context, maybe you have to change things up sometimes,” he said. “I’m not an offensive coordinator; I play special teams. It’s just what I’m seeing from the outside. When you have a backup quarterback in there, I think we should help him a little bit more with that.”

“I feel bad for (backup QB) Dustin Crum sometimes, because he’s such a passionate guy. He’s such a tough guy who wants to win all the time, and he never really had a training camp to get chemistry with his receivers and his whole offence. It’s really tough for a quarterback to perform in that context.”

Dubois also admitted that it was a down year for those in his own area of expertise: special teams. Typically under Dyce’s control, former head coach Rick Campbell took over as the coordinator this season and generated underwhelming results.

“I think we weren’t on the same page. We didn’t have an identity this year,” Dubois said. “I think guys like Gary Johnson, we really miss these guys, because they’re guys with a lot of attitude, and I think special teams is all about it. I don’t think we had that identity this year. I think we just need more mean guys.”

Despite his criticisms, Dubois remains committed to being a part of the change for the Redblacks. He is under contract for 2026 and looks forward to earning his stripes with another new coaching staff — his fourth in what will be nine years with the franchise.

“I love this city. Obviously, Ottawa has welcomed me so nicely in the past few years. I’m just so thankful for the people who are here that support us, that support me personally, and have always been on my side,” he said. “I also understand the people who are frustrated and that voice their opinion, and they have the right to do it, because it really is unacceptable that we go 4-14.”