Why it makes sense for the Ottawa Redblacks to sign quarterback Matthew Shiltz
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The Ottawa Redblacks are holding a reservation for the fourth and last chair in their quarterback room.
Unless he has a change of heart, it’s to be filled by 32-year-old Matthew Shiltz, who will return to the CFL’s East Division after spending last season with the Calgary Stampeders.
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As first reported by Dan Ralph of The Canadian Press, the Redblacks reached an agreement with Shiltz on Sunday, the first day of the league’s one-week legal tampering period leading into the opening of the free-agent market on Feb. 11.
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Shiltz, a Butler University product, started his CFL career in 2017 with a four-season stint as a Montreal Alouette.
From there, he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for two seasons when their offensive coordinator was Tommy Condell — who now holds the same job with the Redblacks — and started the East Division semifinal over Bo Levi Mitchell in 2023, completing 13 of 23 passes for 144 yards and adding four carries for 34 yards in the 27-12 loss to the Als.
Shiltz gives the Redblacks the experience they sought when deciding to move on from Jeremiah Masoli, the 36-year-old veteran who suffered two season-ending injuries over his three campaigns with Ottawa.
Over his seven-year CFL career, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound native of St. Charles, Ill., has dressed for 91 games, including three in the playoffs, and played in 50, completing 64.2% of his passes for 4,795 yards and 21 touchdowns while throwing 20 interceptions.
Shiltz also has rushed for 758 yards on 115 carries (6.6 average) and five TDs.
Last season he made two starts, completing 34 of 62 passes for 438 yards, with two scoring throws and two picks.
Why would the Redblacks sign Shiltz rather than bring Masoli back, presuming the latter wanted to return?
Sources say it was not a decision based on money, but more a case of the team figuring it was time for a change that allows Tyrie Adams and Dustin Crum a greater opportunity to develop in their competition to be the backup behind Dru Brown.
The fact that Shiltz knows Condell’s system also makes for an easier transition.
Of priority to general manager Shawn Burke heading into the tampering window was adding a quarterback who has played in the league and gives the Redblacks extra depth at the position in the case of injury.
Landing an eight-season veteran such as Shiltz checks off all the boxes.
Meanwhile, the Redblacks also have been busy filling other vacancies on their roster.
According to the website 3DownNation, they have reached agreements with four defensive backs: Tre Roberson (Calgary), Amari Henderson (Saskatchewan), Nafees Lyon (Montreal) and Robert Priester, who last season played 11 games at the strong-linebacker position in Toronto for new Redblacks defensive coordinator Will Fields.
It’s important to note that, in the past, teams have reached deals with players during this period only to see them fall through before the market officially opens.
But as it stands, the Redblacks will announce they have signed the five mentioned above — and quite possibly more — a week from Tuesday.
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