The Ottawa Redblacks are expecting to move on from pending free-agent quarterback Jeremiah Masoli when he hits the open market on February 11.
“I definitely have conversed with Jeremiah and his reps. We’re likely to make a change there and not have Jeremiah back,” general manager Shawn Burke told TSN 1200‘s The Drive this week.
“A very tough conversation. Obviously, I go way back with Jeremiah. When you take a job, you talk about coaches and management and ownership at the previous place that helped you get to where you need to be, but the reality is coaches and GMs get jobs because of players, too. I had a core group of players in Hamilton that really helped me elevate myself in my career and he’s in that group. What he did to come here and follow me here and believe in what we’re doing here, that can’t be unsaid.”
Masoli was Burke’s prized off-season acquisition after taking over the Redblacks in 2022, bringing over the franchise pivot from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. However, he wound up making just eight starts and 17 appearances in three seasons with the team due to injury.
Four games into his first season in Ottawa, Masoli took an illegal low hit from Saskatchewan defensive lineman Garrett Marino that resulted in a fractured leg. The resulting surgery and subsequent infection took a full calendar year to recover from, but the quarterback’s triumphant return to the lineup in 2023 was marred by a ruptured Achilles in his first start.
“Obviously, what happened, I believe, in Saskatchewan that day is still impacting him career-wise and it has impacted us as well. But what shouldn’t be lost with his time here, because it will be talked about in games played, is the impact he had on the organization and the ability to recruit players who believed in him as a quarterback,” Burke said.
“What he did in our organization when he wasn’t playing still had a great impact on our organization. I can’t say enough about him as a man, a person, and obviously a very tough conversation, but that’s part of why I get paid. He understood that, and I wish him nothing but the best.”
Masoli returned to the Redblacks in 2024 as a veteran backup at a reduced price tag, making three starts in relief of his replacement, Dru Brown. The 36-year-old completed 102-of-150 pass attempts for 1,149 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
The Ole Miss and Oregon alum first began his CFL career in 2012 with Edmonton, before being traded to Hamilton the following year. He has seen action in 125 games and made 59 starts, throwing for 17,824 yards, 87 touchdowns, and 61 interceptions. He has also rushed for 1,588 yards and 19 majors.
The Redblacks have established Brown as their undisputed starter next season, with Tyrie Adams and Dustin Crum under contract as backups. However, the team is not ruling out further additions to the QB room in free agency.
“I think all options are open. At the end of the day, I think we’ve seen especially here, both during my time and before my time, you need to have a stable of quarterbacks. That’s the reality of our league,” Burke said. “Even if you look at the NFL now and the quarterback injury rates there, you want to have some depth there. We’ll definitely look, there’s some guys on the market. At the same time, you have to make sure it works for you as well.”
Masoli will be able to speak with other CFL teams beginning on Sunday, February 2 when the negotiating window opens. He is not the only prominent Redblack expected to depart in free agency, as Burke also revealed that All-CFL defensive back Damon Webb will likely depart due to financial reasons.
