Ottawa Redblacks release long-anticipated QB Nicholas Vattiato

Photo: Ottawa Redblacks

The Ottawa Redblacks have released American quarterback Nicholas Vattiato, the team announced on Thursday.

The native of Plantation, Fla. signed with the team late last month, which prompted the released of former Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan. Vattiato had been the longest-tenured member of Ottawa’s negotiation list, having been added in August 2024.

The six-foot, 210-pound passer finished his collegiate career at Middle Tennessee State University in 2025. He completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,150 yards, 16 touchdowns, and seven interceptions over nine games with the team.

Vattiato spent his entire collegiate career with the Blue Raiders, completing 64.7 percent of his pass attempts for 9,674 yards, 62 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions. He also rushed for 516 yards and five scores.

The Redblacks released their depth chart for Friday’s game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday. Jake Maier remains the team’s starting quarterback with McLeod Bethel-Thompson as the backup and Bryson Barnes as the third-stringer.

The Ottawa Redblacks (0-3) will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-1) at TD Place Stadium on Friday, July 3 with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT. The Roughriders are coming off a 40-34 loss to the Toronto Argonauts, while the Redblacks dropped a 37-35 matchup against the Montreal Alouettes.

The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for a high of 30 degrees and a 70 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina or TSN 1200 in Ottawa.