The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have released three players from their 2025 roster, including American receiver Dezmon Patmon, Global linebacker Penei Pavihi, and Canadian defensive back Jonathan Giustini.
Patmon appeared in seven games for the Ticats as a rookie in 2024, catching 13 passes for 156 yards. He had his biggest game in the regular season finale, registering five receptions for 56 yards.
The San Diego native was a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts and played 10 games over three seasons with the team, making four catches for 45 yards and one touchdown. He later had stints with the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and the UFL’s Michigan Panthers.
The six-foot-four, 225-pound target caught 156 passes for 1,976 yards and 13 touchdowns over 42 collegiate games at Washington State University.
Pavihi was selected by the Ticats with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 CFL Global Draft and has spent the past two seasons with the team. He appeared in 17 games as a rookie that season, making four defensive tackles and two special teams tackles, but was limited to just one game in 2024 due to injury.
The native of American Samoa made 233 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, six pass knockdowns, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions over 60 games with the University of Hawaii.
Giustini was selected by the Ticats with the 52nd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 CFL Draft but returned to the University of Alberta for his final season of eligibility. A former second-team All-Canadian at safety, he totalled 149 total tackles, one tackle for loss, seven interceptions, 17 passes defended, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries over five seasons with the Golden Bears.
The Calgary, Alta, native also handled some kicking duties, making 13 of 19 field goal attempts, while adding 147 punts for 5,784 yards.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished fourth in the East Division in 2024 with a record of 7-11, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The team will open its 2025 regular season by visiting the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium on Saturday, June 7 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
