Alouettes GM Maciocia wants to keep Austin Mack beyond this season

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Now that receiver Austin Mack has returned to the Alouettes, general manager Danny Maciocia‘s mandate is to get his contract extended beyond this season, knowing he could become a free agent in 2025.

“There may be (a new contract), but not right now,” Maciocia told The Gazette in a telephone interview Monday. “We’d like to have him long-term. He liked his previous experience here. He has made that crystal clear. Even last (May) when we saw him at the Grey Cup ring ceremony.”

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Mack, 26, was named a CFL all-star after catching 78 passes for 1,154 yards and four touchdowns last season. He parlayed that production into a free-agent deal with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons last January, and it was believed he had a legitimate shot of cracking the rebuilding team’s roster. Atlanta went 7-10 and fired head coach Arthur Smith.

But Mack, 6-foot-2, and 205 pounds, was released on Aug. 12. He was used sparingly in the Falcons’ 20-13 exhibition game loss to Miami three days prior, targeted once but held without a reception.

Mack, who lives in Tampa, met with Maciocia last week in Orlando while the latter was in Florida scouting NFL training camps, and quickly came to an agreement concerning his return. Mack was in Montreal as of Monday, participated in team meetings Tuesday and will practice for the first time Wednesday. Head coach Jason Maas will determine whether Mack’s ready to play Sunday night, when the Als host Edmonton.

Mack caught seven passes for 91 yards with the New York Giants in 2020 but was subsequently released and had short stints with Tennessee and San Francisco, but failed to dress for any games. Only he can say whether he’s now prepared to close the book on the NFL.

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“He wants to be here for all the right reasons,” Maciocia said. “He enjoyed the experience and wanted to return.”

Meanwhile, while Maciocia wasn’t at Mosaic Stadium for last Friday’s electrifying comeback 27-24 victory against Saskatchewan, he watched the game live in the offices of the Jacksonville Jaguars with senior personnel executive Tom Gamble. Gamble would have been Maciocia’s assistant with the Als in 2020, but the season was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Maciocia said Gamble, along with others in attendance, wanted to leave with less than one minute remaining in the fourth quarter, only to be implored by the GM to remain. Quarterback Davis Alexander completed a nine-play, 91-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds remaining.

“I told them you may want to take a seat; this is the CFL,” Maciocia said. “That’s a true story. They couldn’t get over the last 30 seconds and were still talking about it the next day.”

While nothing surprises Maciocia any longer, Alexander practised only once last week after returning to Arizona to be by the bedside of his father, Matt, battling Stage 4 lung cancer. Left offensive tackle Nick Callender didn’t practice while right offensive tackle Josh Donovan has been battling through injuries. Montreal’s receiving corps also is depleted, Canadian Tyson Philpot (foot) the latest injury. He joins Kaion Julien-Grant and Tyler Snead, both sidelined.

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“We showed a lot of grit, no quit and we found a way,” Maciocia said. “That’s what I saw. How much more does this team have to do to surprise you?”

Along with Mack, the biggest question this week will concern who starts at quarterback — Alexander or Cody Fajardo — against the Elks.

Alexander is 3-0 as Montreal’s starter, and 4-0 overall, since replacing Caleb Evans to begin the second half against the Roughriders, July 25. Fajardo suffered a hamstring injury at the end of the first quarter against Toronto on July 11, but dressed as Alexander’s backup — meaning he’s healthy enough to play — last Friday. This marked Alexander’s first significant playing time in meaningful games. He’s in his third season with the Als.

Maas has made it clear Fajardo will regain his starting position once he’s completely healthy. That probably means he’ll start against Edmonton. Fajardo was the most valuable player in last season’s Grey Cup victory against Winnipeg after passing for 290 yards and three touchdowns. And the Als were undefeated in five games before he was injured after Montreal won its final eight league and playoff encounters in 2023.

“For us, these are valuable learning experiences,” Maciocia said of Alexander’s body of work. “You have a four-game sample. You can talk a little more intelligently when it comes to Davis.”

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

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