The Montreal Alouettes have signed three Canadian players to contract extensions, including linebacker Tyrell Richards.
Richards was the first overall pick in the 2022 CFL Draft out of Syracuse University. The native of Brampton, Ont. made 10 defensive tackles, 11 special teams tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery over the course of 11 regular season games in 2023. He also scored his first career CFL touchdown.
The 25-year-old was set to enter the final year of his contract in 2024 but is now under contract with Montreal through 2025, as per 3DownNation insider John Hodge.
“These three players were important pieces of our team in 2023 and we are pleased with their signings,” said general manager Danny Maciocia in a statement. “Chagnon and Richards took more responsibility with us on defence and the best is yet to come. Gagné is always dominant in making tackles on special teams, he does a good job.”
The Alouettes also extended the contracts of fullback Alexandre Gagné and linebacker Frédéric Chagnon, both of whom were pending free agents.
Gagné made one defensive tackle and 16 special teams tackles over 18 games this past season, ranking twelfth in the CFL. He also made five special teams tackles during the postseason, helping the Alouettes capture the Grey Cup for the first time since 2010. The 31-year-old went undrafted out of Université de Sherbrooke in 2016 and played his first professional season as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders the following year.
Chagnon recorded 26 defensive tackles, eight special teams tackles, two pass knockdowns, and one sack over 18 games in 2023, making six starts. The six-foot-four, 233-pound defender was originally selected in the third round of the 2017 CFL Draft by the B.C. Lions out of the Université de Montreal. He has made 74 career tackles as a member of the Lions, Ottawa Redblacks, and Alouettes.
