Veteran running back Walter Fletcher and rookie Canadian quarterback Jonathan Senecal were among the Montreal Alouettes' final cuts Saturday.
Canadian Football League teams had until 10 p.m. ET on Saturday to make final roster selections. The '25 regular season kicks off Thursday night with the Ottawa Redblacks visiting the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina.
Montreal begins its season Friday night hosting the Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts.
While final roster decisions had to be made Saturday, only Montreal, the Ottawa Redblacks and Saskatchewan Roughriders announced their final cuts.
The five-foot-eight, 200-pound Fletcher was entering his fifth CFL season and fourth with Montreal. Fletcher, 28, ran for a career-high 764 yards on 141 carries (5.4-yard average) and four touchdowns in 17 games 鈥� also both personal bests
He appeared in seven regular-season games in 2023 when Montreal won the Grey Cup. Fletcher signed a two-year deal with the Alouettes this off-season.
Fletcher appeared in 48 career regular-season games with Edmonton (2021) and Montreal (2022-24). The former Ball State star ran for 1,818 yards on 351 carries (5.2-yard average) and five touchdowns.
Fletcher added 145 catches for 1,388 yards and four touchdowns. He had 71 receptions for 682 yards and three TDs last season.
The Alouettes selected Senecal, the '23 Hec Crighton Trophy winner from Montreal, in the seventh round, No. 62 overall, in the '2025 CFL draft. The six-foot-one, 201-pound Senecal completed 71.5 per cent of his passes last season for 2,320 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in eight regular-season games.
He also ran 27 times for 278 yards (10.3-yard average) with three touchdowns. In 2023, Senecal led the Carabins to a Vanier Cup title.
Montreal placed the following players on the practice roster: Defensive backs Don Callis and Robert Kennedy; offensive linemen Des Holmes, Nouredin Nouili and Ed Montilus; defensive linemen M.J. Sherman and Kori Roberson; linebacker K.D. Davis; receivers Jalen Wayne and Daniel Oladejo; defensive back Vincent Delisle; punter Joshua Sloan and kicker Joshua Hutley.
Receiver Isaac Gaillardetz, linebackers Riley MacLeod and Gabriel Lessard and defensive lineman Gabriel Maisonneuve 鈥� all Canadians 鈥� were placed on the retired list as they're returning to their respective schools.
Meanwhile the Redblacks released 21 players, including former NFL running back Jaylen Samuels. The six-foot, 225-pound American was a 2018 fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers (2018-2021) and also spent time with the Houston Texans (2021) and Arizona Cardinals (2022).
Samuels, 28, appeared in 42 games with Pittsburgh, rushing for 459 yards on 131 carries (3.5-yard average) and a touchdown. He added 82 receptions for 550 yards and four TDs.
Receivers Ayir Asante, Latreal Jones, Ethan Jordan and Andre Miller, running back Elijah Collins, offensive linemen Eric Miller and Isaac Moore, defensive linemen Muftah Ageli and Chase McGowan, linebacker Ayinde (Ace) Eley and defensive back King Ambers earned practice-roster spots.
Twins Jordan and Justin Herdman-Reed topped the list of 17 players released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Both were heading into their seventh CFL seasons and they'd spent three years together in Regina (2021-22, 2024).
Jordan Herdman-Reed began his CFL career with 小蓝视频 (2017-19) before his first tour of duty with Saskatchewan (2021-22). After playing for Calgary (2023), he returned to the Riders (2024).
Justin Herdman-Reed's first CFL stop was with Toronto (2017-19) before heading to the Riders (2021-24). The twins played collegiately at Simon Fraser.
The Riders added running back Mario Anderson, defensive backs Antoine Brooks Jr. and Eddie Heckard, defensive linemen Kendy Charles and Benoit Marion, offensive linemen Payton Collins and Noah Zerr, punter Joe Couch and receivers Drae McCray, D鈥橲ean Mimbs and Joe Robustelli to the practice roster. Punter Bailey Flint was placed on the suspended list.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2025.
The Canadian Press
