Ottawa Redblacks release former first-round CFL draft pick Anthony Bennett

The Ottawa Redblacks have released former first-round CFL draft pick Anthony Bennett.

The 27-year-old dressed for two regular-season games with the team after joining them as a free agent last month, recording two special teams tackle.

The six-foot-one, 235-pound defender played 18 games during his rookie season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2023, making eight defensive tackles and three special teams tackles. He was cut by the team in 2024 prior to the start of the regular season and had an offseason stint with the Montreal Alouettes in 2025.

Bennett was named a first-team U Sports All-Canadian and a Canada West all-star at the University of Regina, recording 38 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and nine sacks in 2022 — a single-season school record.

The Ottawa Redblacks (1-5) will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-2) at TD Place Stadium on Sunday, July 20 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. These two teams played last week in Hamilton where the Tiger-Cats recorded a 23-20 win.

The weather forecast calls for a high of 25 degrees and a 40 percent chance of showers, including a risk of a thunderstorm. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton and TSN 1200 in Ottawa.