Davis Alexander ‘indifferent’ on Austin Mack after surprise departure from Alouettes

Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks.

There appears to be no love lost between Montreal Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander and Austin Mack.

The two will go head-to-head on Sunday in the 113th Grey Cup, with Mack now wearing green and gold for the Edmonton Elks after a high-profile offseason departure. However, while Alexander has heaped praise upon another ex-teammate, Cody Fajardo, he took a different tone regarding his former receiver.

“My relationship with Austin Mack? Indifferent,” he revealed on Grey Cup media day, laughing through gritted teeth as he carefully chose his next words.

“For whatever reason, it didn’t work out here. We thought things were going to end up working out, and then the organization and A. Mack decided to go a different route from each other. That’s all I really know and have to say about it.”

Alexander and Mack were teammates for parts of three seasons in Montreal, interrupted only when the two-time all-star briefly tried his hand at the NFL in 2024 with the Atlanta Falcons. As Alexander moved into the starting role, the pair built a rapport typical of a QB and his top target, texting throughout the offseason and throwing outside of practice. It would now appear they are not in regular contact.

“I think he said that he only talks to Tyson (Philpot) and (Tyler) Snead. I think that’s what he said. That’s what I heard. I don’t know,” Alexander said with a shrug.

“It’s not personal. I have no problem. Me and Mack are good. I have no problem with it. It is what it is.”

Mack confirmed that he remains close with Philpot and Snead, but was complimentary when asked about the CFL’s reigning Most Outstanding Player, calling him a “hell of a player” and a “great guy.” Informed of Alexander’s comments about their relationship, he took it in stride.

“I could care less at the end of the day,” he said. “Back in the Grey Cup with my guy Cody (Fajardo), and now I’ve got a chance to potentially beat those guys in the big one.”

Mack has made no secret of his desire to upset the Alouettes, after he was released by the team in late January ahead of a scheduled $45,000 offseason bonus. As an American star who had made a long-term commitment to Montreal and chose the city as his full-time home, he was taken aback by the move.

“I signed a four-year deal, and after one year, I was released. Of course (it was surprising),” he said. “But at the end of the day, God prevails. You get hit in the mouth all the time. It’s how you respond, and I think how I’ve responded, and the person I am after that is the biggest thing to show for it.”

Alexander also described Mack’s release as “a shock,” though it appeared to catch him off-guard for a different reason. He stated that he had “heard different news initially,” perhaps providing a clue to the origin of his indifference.

General manager Danny Maciocia revealed for the first time on Thursday that Mack had tentatively agreed to terms on a renegotiated contract with the team before having a change of heart. He termed the subsequent decision to release the Ohio State product as “strictly financial.”

“In total transparency, I thought we had a deal because I know that we had restructured the contract. We verbally had a deal. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to put pen to paper, and that’s okay,” Maciocia said. “It’s not the end of the world. It won’t be the first; it won’t be the last. If you do this long enough, you’re going to go through these types of situations, and chances are we’re going to have to go through this again here with maybe some other players here in the next few years. It’s part of the business.”

Mack was limited to just 12 games due to injury in 2025, catching 48 passes for 647 yards and two touchdowns. The 29-year-old was heavily limited in practice due to a hamstring injury in the lead-up to the 112th Grey Cup against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but made the controversial decision to publicly guarantee he would play.

The six-foot-one, 208-pound pass catcher ultimately did dress, failing to make a catch on two targets. He later removed himself from the offence before the final drive, admitting that he was unable to threaten down the field for a potential Hail Mary.

Alexander, who finished that game despite nearly tearing his own injured hamstring off the bone, declined to say whether he felt Mack should have played in the loss.

“That’s probably more of a question for him. I don’t know how he was feeling. He told us he was ready to go, and that’s a decision the coaches rolled with,” he said. “I think he earned that opportunity to play in the game. It wasn’t a serious hamstring injury. It wasn’t as bad as others. I could see him playing through it. I don’t know his body. I don’t know, but he was convinced that he could play.”

Since leaving the Alouettes, Mack has posted career numbers with Edmonton. He caught 82 passes this year for 1,254 yards and nine touchdowns, earning West Division All-CFL honours. The ultimate accomplishment would be to cap the season with a victory against the team that decided he wasn’t worth the money.

“Having the opportunity to, one year removed, make it back to the Grey Cup, first and foremost, there’s nothing you could ask to be happier about. But then to play it against a team that cast you away a year prior, it’s even more invigorating,” Mack said. “I’m more than anything excited. I know those guys upside down, and you wouldn’t want any better way to be able to bring home a Grey Cup than going against somebody like them.”

If he and Alexander are in alignment on one thing, it is that they will have no sympathy for familiar faces once the Grey Cup kicks off.

“For me personally, it’s not very difficult. It’s black and white to me,” the quarterback said. “I know how competitive that side is, that team, and I know how competitive we are. We’re here for the Cup. We’re not here for friends. We’re not here to check in on each other, see how we’re doing. We’re here to win a game.”

The Alouettes (15-4) and Edmonton Elks (14-5) will meet in the 113th Grey Cup at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Sunday, November 15, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET.

The weather forecast in Calgary calls for a high of 10 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, RDS, and Crave in Canada, and DAZN internationally.