The Montreal Alouettes are currently sitting at 9-2 and comfortably on top of the East Division. At this point, it would take an absolute collapse for Montreal to lose its grip on first place. But there could be a bigger concern right now: Davis Alexander’s health. Alexander is coming off an ankle injury he suffered in last week’s loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Despite the injury, Alexander has told reporters that he plans to play this week and has no intention of resting.
But with Montreal sitting comfortably on top of the East and the playoffs being what really matters, is playing Alexander right now the right decision? The Als made this choice last year as well, having Alexander come back early from his hamstring injury to face the Argos. He was able to come away with the win. However, he reinjured the same hamstring and was out for another long stretch of time.
Playing hurt is nothing new for Alexander, and he has dealt with injury issues since he came into the CFL.
Davis Alexander’s Injury History
When looking at Alexander’s time in the CFL, sadly, it has been full of injuries. Starting in April of 2025, Alexander has dealt with multiple injuries, and even this season, you can tell at times that his hamstring still seems to be bothering him.
Last season, when Davis Alexander was out of the lineup, the Alouettes really struggled and were very inconsistent. It was a big reason why they finished second in the East instead of first.
Looking at how the team played without him last year, is it worth the risk of playing him now just to keep winning? Again, Montreal is sitting at 9-2, while the next closest team in the East, the Toronto Argos, are sitting at 5-6. Check out the CFL standings at stats.cfl.ca/standings.
So why push him to keep playing? Is it the coaching staff pushing him to keep going? We all know Jason Maas is very competitive. Or is it Davis himself, wanting to show he can play a full season without injury, something he has never done in his entire CFL career?
I understand the team wants to stay competitive, but I really feel the team is in better shape at quarterback this time than they were last year.
You Did Not Have Dustin Crum Last Season
One big difference this season is Montreal did not have Dustin Crum last year.
Crum has great mobility and we have already seen what he can do when given the opportunity. He really splashed onto the scene during his time in Ottawa and has shown he can make plays with both his arm and his legs.
Last season, Crum made six starts, winning two of them. He finished the season throwing for 1,771 yards, six touchdowns and only two interceptions, while completing 70.9% of his passes. But where Crum can really hurt you is with his legs. He added 429 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. While the 2-4 record might not jump off the page, Crum gave his team a chance to win when he was behind centre.
I also think Crum is a big upgrade from what Montreal had last season in McLeod Bethel-Thompson. If Alexander needs to sit for a game or two to get healthy, I would have no problem giving Crum the ball.
So Who Should Montreal Start This Friday Against the BC Lions?
I understand that being a home game, you want your home fans to see the best of the best. I also understand you’re facing the hottest team in football right now in the BC Lions. BC is on a five-game winning streak and they do not seem to be slowing down.
Plus, that team has something to prove after all the shenanigans on social media.
However, if I was Jason Maas, I would be looking at the bigger picture, not just the picture right now.
Montreal is 9-2 and sitting comfortably on top of the East Division, while the next closest team, the Toronto Argonauts, are 5-6. The Als have given themselves some breathing room, so why not use it?
I would be starting Dustin Crum this week, and maybe even next week, to give Davis Alexander a couple of weeks to get that ankle back to 100%.
Will Maas actually do that? That remains to be seen. I would be surprised if Dustin Crum is the starter on Friday, but if it was my decision, Crum would be getting the start.
At 9-2, I would rather risk losing a game or two now than risk losing Davis Alexander when the games really matter.
