The Montreal Alouettes have signed Global punter Joseph Zema to a contract extension through the 2024 season.
The six-foot, 215-pound native of Melbourne, Australia punted the ball 85 times this past season for an average of 47.3 gross yards and 38.2 net yards per attempt. He finished third league-wide in net punting behind only Cody Grace of the Calgary Stampeders and Richie Leone of the Ottawa Redblacks.
finished fourth in the CFL in 2022, maintaining a 47.3-yard average on punts, on top of forcing opposing offences to start from inside their 10-yard line ten times last season, good for the third highest total in the league. The 28-year-old Australian also finished third with an average of 38.1 net yards (punt yards minus return yards).
“Joseph has a very strong leg and I am very impressed with him,” said general manager Danny Maciocia in a statement. “He has been very good with us since he joined our team, being able to push back the opposing teams very deep in their territory.”
Montreal selected the 28-year-old with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 CFL Global Draft. He has been the club’s punter ever since, dressing for 32 consecutive regular season games.
The Alouettes have released American defensive back Kenneth Durden. The 30-year-old dressed for seven games last season, starting four games at boundary cornerback. He recorded 18 defensive tackles.
