It would be very unfamiliar with the intricacies of the Canadian Football League and its salary cap to judge the Alouettes based on the lineup the team will present in a no-contest game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday.
So we would have liked the opportunity to rest about ten veterans and replace them all with players from the practice squad, but it’s not that easy. Especially given the number of injuries that have affected the Alouettes this season.
“It was the worst season of my career in terms of injuries,” Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia admitted in an interview on Tuesday.
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Putting the puzzle together was so complicated that the Alouettes even had to dress crippled people at one point during the season. We therefore expected 45 players on the sidelines, but only 44 were able to play.
“If a player ends up on the injured list, the organization has to pay him,” Maciocia explained briefly.
The case of veteran pass catcher Greg Ellingson particularly caused headaches for the Alouettes regarding the salary cap of $5.45 million per team for the 2023 season. Ellingson was injured in his knee and could only play one game for the Montreal club.
Distribute usage time
There will therefore be several veterans in uniform for Saturday’s game. This is because it is not possible to bring in new players from the practice squad who will receive a higher salary while in uniform.
“We don’t have the choice to dress them, but internally we can decide how we use them,” emphasized Maciocia, still with a view to the veterans.
For example, the general manager states that all three quarterbacks will be in uniform against the Ti-Cats in one way or another. Therefore, head coach Jason Maas will be able to use Cody Fajardo, Caleb Evans and Davis Alexander if he sees fit. At least the usage time should be better distributed among the seven pass recipients. The Tiger-Cats could do that too.
“We want to win this game,” Maciocia admitted. Finishing with an 11-7 record, which would be the Alouettes’ best since 2012, would be a source of pride for many in the organization amid all the disarray we’ve seen in recent years. The goal is also to play as many games as possible in the coming weeks.”
It’s worth remembering that the Alouettes, whose hands were tied in the offseason while waiting to sell the team, have already had many predictions disproved this season. After Saturday’s game, Montreal will host Hamilton again on November 4 in the Eastern semifinals.