The Montreal Alouettes will have a new starting quarterback this week as McLeod Bethel-Thompson has taken the reigns from Davis Alexander, who is out due to a hamstring injury he suffered in last week’s win over Edmonton.
Bethel-Thompson joined the Alouettes via trade from the Elks this offseason and dressed for the first three games of the season as Alexander’s backup. The 36-year-old native of San Francisco, Calif. saw some late-game action in last week’s win, completing six-of-eight pass attempts for 77 yards.
The six-foot-three, 230-pound passer has played 93 career regular-season CFL games, throwing for 17,086 yards, 94 touchdowns, and 60 interceptions as a member of the Toronto Argonauts, Elks, and Alouettes. He was twice named All-East Division with the Boatmen and helped the team win two Grey Cups — one as a backup and one as a starter.
Alexander dominated the Elks in Week 3, completing 20-of-24 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns with one carry for 11 yards to be named the top performer of the week. Despite the early exit, he improved to 7-0 as a CFL starter, tying Jeff Garcia and Bo Levi Mitchell for the second-best start by a quarterback in league history.
The five-foot-eleven, 210-pound passer he has thrown for 803 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions so far this season and rushed six times for 64 yards.
The Alouettes will also be without receiver Austin Mack (hamstring) and defensive tackle Dylan Wynn (foot) against the Tiger-Cats with both players being moved to the one-game injured list. Mack has made 12 catches for 185 yards this season, while Wynn has recorded four defensive tackles and one sack.
Canadian receiver Daniel Oladejo has been elevated from the practice roster and could get some of Mack’s reps on offence alongside veteran Régis Cibasu. The Alouettes have also moved two new defensive linemen to the active roster, Kori Roberson Jr. and M.J. Sherman, to help replace Wynn.
The Montreal Alouettes (3-0) will visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-2) at Hamilton Stadium on Friday, June 27 with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT. The weather forecast calls for a high of 25 degrees with a 60 percent chance of showers and a risk of a thunderstorm.
