Montreal Alouettes down four starting defenders against Edmonton Elks

Montreal Alouettes

The Montreal Alouettes have moved four starting defensive players to the one-game injured list ahead of Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Elks. All four were non-participants in practice this week. The team issued its official depth chart on Friday morning.

Mustafa Johnson (knee) will be replaced at defensive tackle by Decarius Hawthorne, who made two starts to begin the season before being placed on the practice roster. The six-foot-two, 289-pound native of Birmingham, Ala. made three defensive tackles in those outings, helping Montreal win both games.

Johnson has had a strong start to the year, recording 17 defensive tackles and four sacks over eight regular-season games. The 27-year-old has made 122 defensive tackles, 21 sacks, one forced fumble, and one touchdown over five seasons with the Alouettes, earning an All-East Division selection in 2023.

Geoffrey Cantin-Arku (adductor) will not play, leaving Micah Awe to start at middle linebacker. The 32-year-old has notched 16 defensive tackles and two special teams tackles in a rotational role this season. He was recently issued a maximum fine by the CFL for a high hit on Vernon Adams Jr.

Cantin-Arku has made 38 defensive tackles, five special teams tackles, and two sacks through eight regular-season games this year, his first as a full-time starter. The native of Lévis, Que. originally joined the Alouettes as a first-round pick in the 2024 CFL Draft out of the University of Memphis.

Najee Murray (head) will be replaced at strong-side linebacker by Gemon Green. The 26-year-old signed with Montreal in March and has since played five regular-season games in a depth role, making 10 defensive tackles and two special teams tackles. This will be his first CFL start.

Murray is one of the longest-tenured members of the Alouettes, having originally joined the team in 2018. The five-foot-nine, 187-pound native of Steubenville, Ohio has tallied 268 defensive tackles, six special teams tackles, four sacks, four forced fumbles, and three interceptions over 73 career regular-season games. He helped Montreal win the Grey Cup in 2023.

Wesley Sutton (calf) is out, leaving Faion Hicks to start at boundary halfback. Hicks made three previous starts at field-side cornerback this season, recording four defensive tackles and one forced fumble. The 27-year-old was originally a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.

Sutton has recorded 24 defensive tackles, one sack, and one interception over seven starts this season. Since joining the Alouettes in 2021, the three-time All-East Division selection has made 280 defensive tackles, five special teams tackles, 10 sacks, seven forced fumbles, seven interceptions, and two touchdowns.

David Perales, who was 3DownNation’s breakout player of the week in Week 6, has returned from injury to start at defensive end opposite Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund. Donovan Manuel has also been promoted from the reserve roster to fill a depth role at linebacker, while Ty Anderson has been promoted from the practice roster to fill a depth role at defensive tackle.

The Alouettes have also moved fullback Regis Cibasu to the practice roster and defensive lineman T.J. Guy (ribs) to the six-game injured list.

The Montreal Alouettes (7-1) host the Edmonton Elks (6-2) on Saturday, August 8, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Alouettes beat Ottawa 34-13 in Week 9, while the Elks lost 28-26 to Saskatchewan.

The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CBS Sports Network internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on TSN 690 (English) or 99.5 Montreal (French) in Montreal or 880 CHED in Edmonton.

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