Ottawa Redblacks release high-priced defender Habakkuk Baldonado, five others

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The Ottawa Redblacks have released Global defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado, the team announced on Monday.

The 27-year-old played eight regular-season games with the team, recording eight defensive tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks.

The six-foot-four, 251-pound defender signed with the team in free agency, becoming the highest-paid Global player in CFL history. His contract was worth $185,000 in hard money, which also made him the eleventh-highest-paid defensive lineman in the CFL.

Baldonado has played 44 career regular-season games with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Redblacks, making 39 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, eight sacks, one pass knockdown, and one forced fumble. He helped the Roughriders win last year’s Grey Cup, recording two tackles in the win over Montreal.

The native of Rome, Italy was a second-round pick in the 2023 CFL Global Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh, where he was named second-team All-ACC in 2021. He also had a stint with the New York Giants in 2023.

The Redblacks have also released Canadian defensive lineman Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal, American defensive lineman Norell Pollard, American linebacker K.J. Cloyd, Canadian linebacker Daniel Kwamou, and American defensive back Lento Smith.

Lemieux-Cardinal recently joined the team as a free agent and dressed for one regular-season game, though he didn’t register any statistics. The Université de Montréal product previously tallied two special teams tackles with the Alouettes.

Pollard recently made his CFL debut with Ottawa but didn’t register any statistics. The six-foot-one, 283-pound defender spent parts of the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Washington Commanders, though he didn’t see any regular-season NFL action.

Cloyd played four regular-season games with the Redblacks, and made one start at middle linebacker. The 25-year-old recorded five total tackles in the nation’s capital after previous stints with the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Denver Broncos.

Kwamou played one regular-season game in Ottawa, though he didn’t register any statistics. The Calgary, Alta. native previously played 20 regular-season games with the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, making 13 special teams tackles.

Smith recently joined the team’s practice roster. He finished his collegiate career at the University of Tulsa in 2025, where he was a second-team All-Conference selection. Over 11 games, he made 76 total tackles, two tackles for loss, five pass knockdowns, one interception, and one forced fumble.