The Ottawa Redblacks have sounded out McLeod Bethel-Thompson about a possible return to the CFL.
A source within the Ambrosie circuit confirmed to La Presse Canadienne that the Ottawa team contacted the former Toronto Argonauts after quarterback Jeremiah Masoli suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon in the 21-13 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-3) on Saturday.
The injury will require surgery and will force Masoli to miss the rest of the season.
This source within the CFL requested anonymity. Rouge et Noir general manager Shawn Burke will meet the media on Tuesday.
It was his first game in a year, to the day after suffering a right leg injury which saw him miss the last 17 games for the Rouge et Noir. The team went 5-12 in his absence.
Dustin Crum replaced Masoli on Saturday, completing 14 of 21 passes for 149 yards but had two interceptions. He also rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown on six carries. The Rouge et Noir (1-3) also brought in Nick Arbuckle and Tyrie Adams this season.
Adams was in charge for the club’s only win of 2023, 26-7 against the Edmonton Elks on June 30, a game in which he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
The Rouge et Noir play their next game Saturday at TD Place when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-1). Crum should start this meeting behind the center.
The 35-year-old Bethel-Thompson played five seasons with the Argos, from 2017-2022, winning the Gray Cup in his first – as a substitute for Ricky Ray – and final year with the club. He led the CFL with 4,731 passing yards in 2022, with 23 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.
Bethel-Thompson led the Argos to a second straight East title. In the final against the Bombers, he completed 15 of 28 passes for 203 yards before suffering a dislocated right thumb in the fourth quarter.
Chad Kelly completed the game, passing four of his six passes for 43 yards, but most importantly a crucial 20-yard run on a 2nd and 15 to pave the way for a touchdown on a five-yard run from A. J. Ouellette, which gave the Argonauts a 24-23 victory.
Bethel-Thompson then signed a contract with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL, saying he wanted to play closer to his family.
A return to Canada should “meet the needs” of Bethel-Thompson and his family, according to this source consulted by La Presse Canadienne, who added that the Rouge et Noir were not the only CFL team to contact him, without specifying which other teams had done so.
Also according to this source, there is also still “a lot” of interest from NFL teams in the quarterback. NFL clubs will be able to dress a third quarterback in games this season, without that quarterback using up an active roster spot.
This rule change also means that most teams will be evaluating at least four quarterbacks during training camp. Bethel-Thompson’s professional experience could obviously work in his favor.
One thing is certain: Bethel-Thompson has time to consider all offers made to it. His value in the CFL could only increase as the weeks go by, especially if one of the teams with strong claims were to lose the services of its starting quarterback.
Bethel-Thompson played in 74 CFL games, completing 66.8% of his passes (1,125 in 1,683) for 13,261 yards and 70 touchdowns to 49 interceptions. He also carried the ball 93 times for 513 yards and two touchdowns.