Montreal Alouettes start QB Anthony Brown Jr. in preseason finale versus Redblacks

Photo courtesy: Montreal Alouettes

The Montreal Alouettes are leaving the starters at home for their final preseason game against the Ottawa Redblacks, including at the quarterback position.

Franchise pivot Davis Alexander is one of 36 players listed as inactive for the contest. While projected backup Dustin Crum will dress as the fourth stringer, he is not expected to play. That leaves newcomer Anthony Brown Jr. to make the start under centre, after he missed last week’s game due to injury.

Brown originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens after going unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft. He played two regular-season games as a rookie and made one start, completing 44.9 percent of his passes for 302 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. Brown was also sacked five times and lost one fumble. He later spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and Arizona Cardinals, though he didn’t see any regular-season action with those teams.

The six-foot-one, 217-pound passer last played for the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL) in 2025 and made three starts, completing 48.2 percent of his passes for 241 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. He also rushed for 61 yards.

Brown was a collegiate standout over six seasons at Boston College and the University of Oregon, completing 58.4 percent of his passes for 7,891 yards, 61 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. He also ran 287 times for 1,121 yards and 15 scores.

One-time starter James Morgan and Canadian rookie Arnaud Desjardins are the other two quarterbacks dressing for the game. Both are expected to see time, though it is unclear how much.

Only one projected starter is dressing for the game, safety Arthur Hamlin, though he is listed at strong-side linebacker. Nate Beauchemin, who is in competition with Hamlin to fill the shoes of Marc-Antoine Dequoy, will get the nod at safety instead.

Montreal’s entire depth chart can be viewed below.

The Montreal Alouettes opened training camp on May 10 and opened the preseason against the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, May 22, losing 27-12. The rematch is set for Friday, May 29, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Final roster cuts are due on Saturday, May 30, after which the team will play its first regular-season game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday, June 4.

Montreal recently selected Arkansas tight end Rohan Jones with their first-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, though he is currently under contract with the Los Angeles Rams. The team’s other major offseason additions include quarterback Dustin Crum, receiver Jerreth Sterns, and returner DeVonte Dedmon.

In 2025, the Alouettes finished second in the East Division standings with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.