38-year-old offensive lineman Kristian Matte isn't ready for retirement just yet. He will therefore return to the Montreal Alouettes, the reigning Gray Cup champions, in 2024.
After the Alouettes' recent conquest, Matte would have been free to retire in full glory. However, his passion for football is still there.
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“Veterans with 14 seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) are not commonplace,” commented Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia in confirming the news in a press release Thursday afternoon. Matte is a guy that everyone likes. He played a key role in our recent Gray Cup win. He's not afraid to stand up and speak up in the locker room when things aren't going well.
“He also sets an example on the field with his work ethic,” Maciocia added. We are fortunate to have such a leader on our team.”
The Alouettes organization had already published the news about number 51 on their X account on Thursday.
Matte has been with the Montreal club since 2010 after being selected seventh overall in the CFL draft by the Alouettes.
In 2023, the Quebecer was still one of the starters on offense in both the regular season and the playoffs.
We'll think about it later
Before the start of the recent playoffs, Matte admitted that he had not considered retiring or the possibility that it could be his last game.
“We never think about these things because when we do we don't focus on the good,” commented the athlete from Saint-Hubert. When it's time to think about it, we'll think about it…”
Matte has decided: retirement will wait at least another year.