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The Montreal Alouettes have re-signed Canadian linebacker Tyrell Richards for 2026. He was a pending free agent.
The six-foot-three, 225-pound defender led the CFL with 30 special teams tackles in 2025, helping the Alouettes finished tied for second in net punting, first in opponent punt return average, and fourth in opponent kickoff return average.
“Tyrell has become one of the league’s top special teams players, and his presence is immediately noticed by our opponents,” said general manager Danny Maciocia in a statement. “We’re very happy to have him with us in 2026. He has excelled in every role we’ve given him. This signing is excellent news.”
The 27-year-old native of Brampton, Ont. was originally the first overall pick in the 2022 CFL Draft out of Syracuse University. He has since recorded 27 defensive tackles, 55 special teams tackles, two forced fumbles, one sack, one interception, and one touchdown over 44 regular-season CFL games. He also won a Grey Cup with Montreal in 2023.
The Alouettes have also signed American receiver Austin Watkins Jr.
The six-foot-three, 210-pound target was previously a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, though he didn’t see any regular-season action with the team.
The 27-year-old native of Fort Myers, Fla. won a USFL championship with the Baltimore Stallions in 2023 and has been a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and Philadelphia Eagles, though he’s never recorded a statistic in a regular-season NFL game.
Watkins Jr. was named first-team All-Conference USA furing his collegiate career at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The Montreal Alouettes finished second in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Davis Alexander went 7-0 as a starter during the regular-season, though he missed 11 games due to a hamstring injury.
The Alouettes ranked eighth in net offence, first in net defence, and third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was Stevie Scott III with 418 yards, leading receiver was Tyler Snead with 1,129 yards, and leading tackler was Darnell Sankey with 103 tackles. Montreal finished sixth in attendance with average crowds of 21,132, which was a 0.8 percent decrease from the previous year.