By The Canadian Press

Alouettes QB Davis Alexander expects to start Friday after practising with first team

Sep 23, 2025 | 10:47 AM

MONTREAL — Davis Alexander expects to be ready to return Friday. And this time, he says he’s better prepared to stay on the field.

In a welcome sight for the Montreal Alouettes, the starting quarterback practised with the first team Tuesday, putting him on track to play after a hamstring injury.

“That’s the plan,” Alexander said after hardly missing a throw during the afternoon session at Stade Hébert. “That’s where we’re at right now.”

Head coach Jason Maas said the team will monitor Alexander closely as he ramps up his workload before deciding on his status for Friday’s home matchup against the Calgary Stampeders.

“But today was a big step,” Maas said. “Davis was ready to go, it’s just now (about) how he feels after it.

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“But if he’s ready to go, he’s playing, he’ll start. We just got to look at it (Wednesday) more than anything. Just see how he felt completely, but the expectation is he can go.”

Alexander — who rose from third-stringer to face of the franchise — hasn’t played since July 17. He re-aggravated his injury in a 21-19 win over the Toronto Argonauts and was placed on the six-game injured list.

The 26-year-old from Gig Harbor, Wash., first hurt his hamstring June 20 against the Edmonton Elks and missed the next two games. He then returned against Toronto, perhaps prematurely.

“Going into that Toronto game, I myself definitely rushed back,” he said. “I didn’t do much sprint work going up into that game. Right now, we’re on week four of me doing sprint work. And yeah, I feel as confident as since before camp.

“I feel night and day better, and it’s just something that I’ll just continue to attack, continue to rehab, continue until the season’s over.”

Alexander said his rehab routine includes “three, four, sometimes five” treatments a day, and up to three workouts. He added he has felt healthy enough to play for around 10 days.

The Alouettes have struggled in his absence, posting a 3-7 record while shuffling through McLeod Bethel-Thompson, third-stringer Caleb Evans and fourth-stringer James Morgan. But Montreal has won two straight with Bethel-Thompson under centre.

Alexander, meanwhile, is 8-0 as a starter in the CFL, matching Danny McManus’s CFL record of eight straight victories to begin a career.

The five-foot-11, 210-pound Alexander could have a chance to finally set a new mark when Montreal (7-7) hosts Calgary (8-5).

“It’s tough,” he said of watching from the sidelines. “But honestly, every single day, everybody in the organization kept me going. I saw the way that those guys played every single game, every single practice. They gave it their all.

“I just did my part, and our medical staff was incredible and just helped guide me through it, helped keep me motivated.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2025.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press