Future of dual returners Chandler Worthy, James Letcher Jr. an ‘interesting discussion’ for Alouettes

They say you can’t have too much of a good thing but the Montreal Alouettes may be forced to test that theory when it comes to their return game.

The reigning Grey Cup champions were aided down the stretch by the emergence of rookie returner James Letcher Jr., providing them with an unexpected field-flipping weapon. The only problem? Montreal already has a dynamic returner under contract for next season in veteran Chandler Worthy, whose substantial contract raises serious questions about whether it will be worthwhile to keep both around.

The 30-year-old speedster is set to make $140,000 in hard money next season if he makes it through training camp, with another possible $24,000 in playtime and performance incentives. That hefty fee seemed reasonable after Worthy finished the 2022 season as the runner-up for Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, but may now be an unnecessary luxury if a second-year standout can do the same thing for the league minimum.

That is a debate that is likely to plague Alouettes’ general manager Danny Maciocia throughout the offseason, though he appears eager to find a way to fit both players on his roster.

“We’ll see how that one unfolds but as we speak, I would say we feel like we can (keep them both),” he told reporters earlier this month at the CFL winter meetings, before providing an important caveat.

“At the start of January, we’ve had so much to deal with after the Grey Cup that we haven’t really had extensive conversations with our coaching staff and tried to project what we’re going to look like here in 2024. Both of those guys are pretty dynamic. They can definitely change the course of a football game with the way they can return the ball, but they can also contribute on the offensive side of the ball as receivers.”

Worthy had a slightly down year in 2023 compared to his all-star campaign the previous season, but still finished with the second-best kickoff return average in the CFL at 23.7 yards. He fielded 48 kicks for 1,136 yards in 14 games, adding 56 punt returns for 544 yards and one touchdown as well as four missed field goal returns for 96 yards.

In 45 career games, the six-year veteran has amassed 3,156 yards on kickoffs, 1,633 yards on punt team, and 315 yards off of missed field goal returns, adding three combined return touchdowns.

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Letcher took over the Alouettes’ return job after Worthy went down with an ankle injury with four games remaining in the 2023 regular season. He made an instant impact, fielding 23 punts for 392 yards and a touchdown, returning four kickoffs for 92 yards, and adding a spectacular 125-yard missed field-goal return touchdown.

The 24-year-old continued to make big plays in the playoffs, busting a 105-yard kickoff return touchdown late in Montreal’s stunning Eastern Final upset of the Toronto Argonauts. Through three postseason games, he returned eight punts for 77 yards and six kickoffs for another 207.

Though Letcher is six years Worthy’s junior and matched his career total for return touchdowns in just seven appearances, either player could handle Montreal’s special teams duties at an extremely high level. If the Alouettes want to utilize both, however, one will need to shift their focus towards offence and become a contributor in the receiving corps.

“They would have to, especially if they are both on the roster,” Maciocia confirmed. “You just can’t have primarily two returners, you won’t have that flexibility, especially with a 45-man roster. Somebody’s going to have to have some form of contribution on the offensive side of the ball. That’s why these discussions are going to be quite interesting over the next little while.”

Worthy would be the likely candidate for that role as he has been an infrequent contributor on offence throughout his CFL career, even starting several games for the Toronto Argonauts before he was traded to Montreal. He has hauled in 43 receptions since 2017, collecting 461 yards and four touchdowns.

Letcher has yet to catch a pass in the CFL but was highly productive at Washburn University, amassing 228 receptions for 2,992 yards and 29 touchdowns over the course of his collegiate career.

Fortunately for the Alouettes, they are in no rush to make this decision. Unlike many expensive veterans, Worthy is not scheduled to receive an offseason bonus and is not owed any money until he reports to training camp. Passing his physical will come with a $15,000 cheque, with another $20,000 owed once he makes the active roster.

Maciocia will have until then to figure out how to best utilize his sudden abundance of returners, with Montreal set to open their 2024 campaign on Thursday, June 6 in a Grey Cup rematch against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

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