Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Montreal Alouettes Bring Back All-CFL Wide Receiver
Nov 19, 2023; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Austin Mack (81) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter in the 110th Grey Cup at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

A familiar face is returning to Montreal at the right time. Wide receiver Austin Mack signed with the Alouettes on Tuesday.

Mack was released by the Atlanta Falcons last week after one game with the team. He should have recorded a stat in their loss to the Miami Dolphins. Atlanta signed Mack in January after he spent one season with the Alouettes.

Montreal found a star in the rookie receiver, who hauled in 78 receptions for 1,154 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games. His performance landed him on the All-CFL team. Mack was the leading receiver for the Alouettes in the Grey Cup, making six catches for 103 yards and one touchdown en route to a title win.

Mack played in the NFL for three seasons before joining the CFL as a member of the New York Giants. In 2020, he caught seven passes for 91 yards, including a 50-yarder. Mack also had brief stints with the Tennessee Titans and the San Francisco 49ers.

Discussions between Montreal and Mack began last week, as the team was interested in bringing him back, but Mack wanted to wait to see if he could get another shot in the NFL. His return will help a receiving room that needs depth after Tyson Philpot's injury, which will keep him out for six games.

Montreal is back home on Sunday against the Edmonton Elks.

This article first appeared on CFL on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Maple Leafs have strong reason to believe they can sign Connor McDavid
NHL

Maple Leafs have strong reason to believe they can sign Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid has still not extended his contract with the Edmonton Oilers as he enters his eighth and final year of his current agreement. McDavid, 28, will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in 2026 if he does not reach an agreement with the Oilers, and according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Toronto Maple Leafs are wondering "what’s happening" with the Canadian center. “Just like 15 other teams around the NHL, until Connor makes his decision, there are teams that are gonna want to know, ‘Do we have to keep our powder dry for the summer of 2026?’ The Leafs are among them,” said LeBrun. In fact, there is a strong reason to believe that Toronto could sign McDavid, and it is that the Oilers player has recently made statements that could be an important clue about what the future holds for him. The center's words, curiously, are very similar to what Mitch Marner used to say at the time, before moving to the Leafs from the Vegas Golden Knights. Is McDavid's speech a farewell from Edmonton? In September 2024, Marner seemed committed to Toronto, without giving many details about his true intention. “It’s another year of wanting to be the best you can be and help this team win hockey games,” he said then, via the NHL official website. "That’s where my mind is, it’s not thinking of a contract year, and you have to be doing this and that. It’s just another hockey year where you want to be the best you can be to help this team win hockey games and get to the ultimate goal," added Marner. For his part, McDavid's speech goes practically along the same lines. "I’ll take my time and go through everything. I have every intention of winning in Edmonton. It’s my only focus," he said at the end of August of this year, via Sportsnet. "I want the group to be as focused and dialed in and ready to roll from Day 1 as much as possible, and we don’t need any distractions," added McDavid. Unfortunately for the 28-year-old Canadian, his contractual situation has already become a big distraction. History tells us that it is more than likely that in 2026, the center will be defending another jersey.

Tucker Kraft injury update: Concerning update emerges on Green Bay Packers TE
NFL

Tucker Kraft injury update: Concerning update emerges on Green Bay Packers TE

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft suffered a left knee injury in Thursday’s practice, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Kraft will have the injury fully evaluated, but it is not believed to be a long-term issue. Kraft, 24, is Green Bay’s leading receiver through its first two games of the 2025 season. He has tallied 11 receptions for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Kraft had a true breakout game in last Thursday’s 27-18 Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders, catching six passes for a career-high 124 yards. Among NFL tight ends, Kraft has been elite. He is first in yards per route run (3.26) and yards per target (14), and second in yards per reception (17.5), yards after catch (73) and yards after catch per reception (9.13), according to Fantasy Points Data. “I been screaming his name since last year, man,” running back Josh Jacobs said of Kraft, via Packers.com. “The way that he comes in and he works his butt off. And really how he step up this year as a leader, I think, is special. He didn’t leave. He came the whole offseason, stayed here, he was in the building every day. Workouts and OTAs, he’s first in line. He’s running hard. I think that he’s getting everything that he put in and I’m happy for him.” Tucker Kraft suffers knee injury, Green Bay offense already without proven playmaker Should Kraft miss any time, Luke Musgrave will be in line for a bigger role. Musgrave has three catches for 36 yards this season. The Packers are already set to be without wide receiver Jayden Reed, who underwent surgery earlier this week for a broken collarbone and a Jones fracture in his left foot. Reed is out indefinitely, leaving Green Bay without its top wideout from last season. Injuries might be the only thing that can slow down the Packers, who have jumped out to a 2-0 start with convincing victories over the Commanders and the Detroit Lions. The Packers go on the road to play the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 on Sunday.

Marvin Harrison Jr. brushes off potential Cardinals controversy
NFL

Marvin Harrison Jr. brushes off potential Cardinals controversy

Second-year Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. added some muscle weight during the offseason in an attempt to improve after he experienced an up-and-down rookie campaign. However, eyebrows were raised when he recorded just two receptions on five targets for 27 yards in Arizona's 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Harrison poured cold water over the idea that he cares more about his stats than about the fact that the Cardinals opened the season with back-to-back wins. Marvin Harrison Jr. brushes off "silly conversation" "That’s a silly conversation, really," Harrison responded when asked about the number of passes thrown his way across the season's first two weeks, per Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports. "We’re 2-0. That’s the most important thing. We’ve got a big game this week, so that’s really my only focus. Anybody that’s a competitor loves the game, loves what they do. Everybody wants the ball. They want to impact the game. But most importantly, it’s all about winning." Many expected Harrison would take a major leap this season after the fourth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft finished his debut pro campaign with 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. Thus far, that hasn't happened. In the Cardinals' 20-13 Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 7, he caught five of six targets for 71 yards and a score. ESPN stats show that second-year New York Giants star Malik Nabers tallied a league-high 25 targets over the first two weeks of the ongoing season. To compare, Harrison enters Week 3 with seven receptions on 11 targets for 98 yards and one touchdown. Marvin Harrison Jr. insists he's happy despite lack of targets "It’s always frustrating when you may not get the impact that you kind of want in the game, especially when you put in so much work," Harrison acknowledged. "I know my process throughout the week and all the work that I put in throughout all season and leading up to the game. When you don’t get the results that you want to impact the game, that kind of is frustrating. But at the end of the day, you’re very happy that we’re 2-0 sitting here and got a victory." Earlier in the week, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray warned that his team must be better about finishing games after Arizona flirted with snatching defeat from the jaws of victory on two occasions. Perhaps part of that process will involve Murray targeting Harrison early and often during this coming Sunday's game at the 2-0 San Francisco 49ers.

Mike Matheson and David Savard in talks with the Canadiens
NHL

Mike Matheson and David Savard in talks with the Canadiens

Mike Matheson has entered the final year of his contract and, with an annual salary of $4.875 million, will be free as a bird on July 1 if he hasn’t signed a new deal by then. But if we’re to believe David Pagnotta(The Fourth Period), it might not come to that, because according to the informer, discussions are currently underway between the defenseman and the Canadiens to extend his contract. We know that Matheson wants to play here, and we also know that the Canadiens like him a lot. Jeff Gorton praised him this summer, saying he was important to the club at the moment… and even if there are other defensemen growing within the organization, making room for a veteran like him isn’t a crazy idea. Especially when you recognize the fact that the Canadiens’ defense is very young. Matheson is valuable to the Canadiens. His role will diminish (possibly even more so after the arrival of Noah Dobson), but we’re still talking about a player who helps the team in his own way. Last season, he was particularly useful on the power play, and he’s likely to have a similar role this year too. If he can produce offensively, on top of all that… [content-ads] Matheson is said to be in talks with the Habs… but the same can be said of David Savard. No, it wouldn’t be in the context of a return to the ice. But the former Canadiens defenseman, who retired at the end of last season, admitted to Kevin Dubé(Journal de Québec): there may be a position waiting for him with the Canadiens at some point. We’ve had a lot of conversations, and nothing’s closed yet. – David Savard The Journal de Québec article was published on the TVA Sports site (and Habs and NHL also wrote on the subject): It’s not the first time we’ve heard about this, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Because it shows one thing: there really seems to be an interest on the part of the defenseman and the organization to find something for him. Savard was on the ice with the Quebec Remparts on Tuesday, and it’s worth remembering that he’ s associated with 44 seconds, a consulting firm that helps junior and professional defensemen. Clearly, he’s still interested in staying in the hockey world. And so much the better, if the Canadiens are able to find a role for him within the organization [spacer title=’Overtime’] – It’s true that we’re talking about a beautiful amphitheatre. – The – He knows what he has to do. – Happy reading,

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!