Montreal Alouettes general manager Danny Maccioscia has been a busy man this offseason, but he wouldn't say if re-signing one of the franchise's most popular players is on his to-do list.
Speaking to French-language media last weekThe 58-year-old was cagey about the future of defenseman Marc-Antoine Dequoy and whether the team has enough cap space to extend his contract.
“Listen, there is only a few players left at most. Of course, there will be a choice,” Maciosia said. “You talk to me about Marc-Antoine, other people talk to me about (Darnell) Sankey, and others talk about (Geoffrey) Quentin-Arcoux.”
Later that week Alouettes signed a two-year contract extension with Cantin-Arcu And released Sankeywho was declared a free agent as a courtesy when it became clear he would no longer be needed. This decision at the midfielder position foreshadows the thought process is similar to what the team might undertake with Dequoy.
Sophomore Arthur Hamlin, who was selected in the same CFL draft as Cantin-Arcoux, has excelled at safety when called upon, while Montreal also selected Presidents' Trophy winner Nate Beauchemin in the second round last year to improve their depth. That creates a ready-made succession plan if the team wants to move on from the pricey 31-year-old Dequa when his contract expires on Feb. 10.
“There are 26 pending free agents. The full 26 will not be returning. Some we will sign for future years, and there will be others who will probably play somewhere else, and there will be others who decide to move on to other things,” Maciocia admitted. “These are all issues that we are in the process of discussing internally with our coaching staff because they will have a direct say in the core and identity of the Alouettes in 2026.” Marc-Antoine will be part of these discussions.”
Dekua is Alouettes' most outstanding French-speaking player and is widely considered the leader of their defense, but it comes at a cost. The Ile-Bizard, Que., native was the third-highest paid defenseman in the CFL last season. earn $155.00 in hard money.
However, despite back-to-back All-CFL selections in 2023 and 2024, Dequa's production has waned. In 2025, he was limited to 15 games due to injury, making 34 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, three sacks and a pick-six. A recognizable face in the province of Quebec, he also devoted attention to other endeavors and participated in several reality shows over the last few offseasons.
Allowing the former Carabins standout to walk would be unpopular with fans, but Maciocia warns that change in the field is inevitable.
“I will continue to say that it is almost impossible to keep the same team from 25th to 26th. You don't see that in professional sports, be it hockey or football, no matter the team sport,” he said. “There are choices we need to make. I think we've already made some choices; we'll continue to make others. It will be different, but the core that we've identified as a team will be back.”
Maciocia quickly worked to re-sign or extend contracts with other big-name stars after the Alouettes' Gray Cup loss, including defender Davis Alexander, receiver Tyson PhilpotAnd offensive lineman Pierre-Olivier Lestage. He indicated that negotiations were ongoing with other members of their supposed core, but dodged the question when asked about Dequa's status.
The veteran grandmaster does not intend to bring back the popular defender, but does not rule out any possibilities.
“Everyone has a chance (to be signed),” Macciosia joked to a reporter. – Even you have a chance.
