Toronto Argonauts bring back Ali Fayad

Photo: Cameron Bartlett/Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The Toronto Argonauts have signed American defensive lineman Ali Fayad, the team announced on Wednesday.

The six-foot-two, 250-pound defender played four regular-season games with the Boatmen in 2022, when he recorded four defensive tackles, one special teams tackle, and one sack.

The 27-year-old dressed for three regular-season games with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2024, and recorded one defensive tackle and one pass knockdown. He also had a stint with the Edmonton Elks in 2025.

The native of Dearborn, Mich. played for the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL in 2023, when he made 13 total tackles and one sack over six games.

Fayad played collegiately at Western Michigan University where he was named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, recording 40 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks. Over 55 career games, he made 164 tackles, 55.5 tackles for loss, 33.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.

The Toronto Argonauts (9-6) will host the B.C. Lions (8-6) on Saturday, October 3 with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Lions are coming off a win over Saskatchewan that launched them to second place in the West Division, while the Argonauts extended their winning streak to four games with a victory over Winnipeg.

The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and Crave in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver and TSN 1050 in Toronto.