Montreal Alouettes have released linebacker Darnell Sankey. He was scheduled to become a free agent on February 10.
“I would like to thank Darnell for all the work he has done for us on and off the field over the past several years,” general manager Danny Maccioscia wrote in a statement. “Not only has he been a productive player, but he's also been an important leader for us. We've decided to go in a different direction at middle linebacker in 2026, a move that will allow Darnell to get a head start on the free agent market.”
Maciosia also addressed the media after signing Canadian midfielder Geoffrey Cantin-Arcu for an extension on Thursday and indicated that the team's American player could be out.
“There is a high probability that this position will change and it will become Canada's position for us,” he said in French. “(Quentin-Arcoux) is a player entering his third year. I think he's done well, he's 27 years old and Canadian. I've often said that all things being equal we'll keep our best team at home and he's earned this opportunity. He'll have a bigger role and there's a good chance we'll change the balance at that position.”
Sankey has been with the Alouettes since 2023, when he joined the team mid-season after a stint in the XFL and helped them to a Gray Cup victory. In 42 games with the team, he recorded 239 defensive tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and five forced fumbles, earning All-CFL East Division selections in each of the last two seasons.
“Darnell always came to work with the right attitude,” head coach Jason Maas said in a statement. “He was an important voice in our locker room and one of our leaders on the field. He always did his job professionally and I appreciated having him on our team over the past few years.”
The 31-year-old has been the leader of the defense throughout his time in Montreal, but has now been phased out as part of a long-term plan to launch 2024 first-round pick Cantin-Arcoux.
“It's always part of my job, I'm thinking not only about Season 26 but also Season 27. You have to take a number of factors into account in terms of the player's age, American/Canadian, salary, if it fits with what we want to do defensively,” Maciocia said. Of course, there are meetings with coach Maas and coach Thorpe, and we talk about it in detail. These conversations happen at the end of the year, but we on football teams – whether it's me, PJ, JM or Marcel Desjardins – we talk about all this even during training camps the following year. We have a short-term plan, a medium-term plan and a long-term plan.”
Sankey previously played for the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders. In 74 career CFL games, he recorded 456 defensive tackles, eight sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and was named a three-time All-Star.
The Alouettes finished second in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East final before losing the 112th Gray Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Davis Alexander went 7-0 in the regular season as a starter, although he missed 11 games with a hamstring injury.
The Alouettes ranked eighth in net offense, first in net defense and third in turnover differential of plus-eight. The club's leading rusher was Stevie Scott III with 418 yards, the leading receiver was Tyler Snead with 1,129 yards, and the leading tackler was Darnell Sankey with 103 tackles. Montreal ranked sixth in attendance with an average attendance of 21,132, down 0.8 percent from the previous year.
