The Ottawa Redblacks have officially signed Global defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado to a one-year contract for the 2026 CFL season. 3DownNation exclusively reported the agreement last week.
The 26-year-old has spent three CFL seasons with the Green and White. He showed his upside in 2025, recording 17 defensive tackles, four sacks and one forced fumble in 18 regular-season games. Through 36 career games, the rising disruptor has notched 31 defensive tackles, four special teams stops, six sacks and one forced fumble.
Baldonado was selected by the Riders in the second round, 12th overall during 2023 CFL Global Draft after five seasons at the University of Pittsburgh (2018-2022). The Rome, Italy native played 40 games for the Panthers, recording 99 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, two pass knockdowns, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and one blocked punt.
The six-foot-four, 251-pounder earned second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honours in 2021 following a nine-sack campaign. He posted 42 combined tackles, 23 solo, forced one fumble and recovered another in his standout junior season with Pittsburgh that year.
Baldonado spent training camp with the New York Giants after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. In three preseason games for the Giants, he tallied four tackles and one sack, but was released among final roster decisions.
Pending CFL free agents were able to communicate with teams around the league from February 1 to 8, during which time contracts could be negotiated and agreed upon but not signed. Starting, Tuesday, February 10 at noon EST, players can officially change teams.
Ottawa finished fourth in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Dru Brown went 2-7 over nine starts at quarterback, throwing for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Dustin Crum went 2-4 over six starts, throwing for 1,771 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The Redblacks ranked sixth in net offence, fifth in net defence, and ninth with a turnover differential of minus-16. The club’s leading rusher was William Stanback with 698 yards, leading receiver was Justin Hardy with 1,019 yards, and leading tackler was Adarius Pickett with 84 tackles. Ottawa finished eighth in attendance with average crowds of 18,136, which was a 4.2 percent decrease from the previous year.
