The Montreal Alouettes have been busy locking up pieces of their championship-winning core, but their biggest signing may have been the one that excited the public the least.
Defensive tackle Mustafa Johnson’s new deal generated considerably less buzz than those of Grey Cup MVP Cody Fajardo, Most Valuable Canadian Tyson Philpot, or high-profile defensive additions Darnell Sankey and Shawn Lemon. However, Alouettes’ director of football operations Eric Deslauriers believes most aren’t fully appreciating the type of ability that the Colorado product brings to the table.
“It’s funny you say unheralded when you look at the season he had,” Deslauriers said in an appearance on TSN 690‘s Melnick in the Afternoon this week. “I think he should have been up for Defensive Player of the Year. It’s not always about stats if you look at Mustafa Johnson’s pressures and beating the guy in front of him.”
Johnson was named an East Division all-star in 2023 after recording 43 defensive tackles, seven sacks, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown over 18 games. He added eight tackles and two sacks through three playoff games, including one in the Grey Cup win.
He wasn’t on the radar for any major individual awards, however. Members of the Montreal media and head coach Jason Maas voted linebacker Tyrice Beverette as the team’s nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player after he recorded 109 total tackles, seven sacks and a pair of defensive touchdowns. B.C. Lions’ defensive end Mathieu Betts, who set a new Canadian record with 18 sacks, eventually won the award, beating out Toronto Argonauts’ strongside linebacker Adarius Pickett.
According to Deslauriers, Johnson’s production was on par with those finalists.
“I don’t know if everybody realizes we’re with PFF (Pro Football Focus) now, the same company that runs the NFL as far as stats and they do some great work for video for us, and I think he’s first (among) D-tackles,” he said.
“When a defensive tackle, meaning he plays interior between the guard and the centre, has seven sacks, it’s very, very impressive. This man will chase people down. He’s relentless. He had one thing on his mind and that was dominating the season.”
PFF credited Johnson with 64 pressures last season, 13 more than the next most active defensive tackle. He trailed only Betts, Toronto’s Folarin Orimolade, and Winnipeg’s Willie Jefferson in terms of frequency in getting after the quarterback — all of whom play off the edge.
The six-foot-two, 290-pound defender recorded an 89.0 pass-rush grade for the season, the second highest in the CFL behind Betts. But while the sack leader struggled to defend against the run, Johnson posted the third-highest run defence grade among defensive linemen to put himself in a truly elite tier.
That earned him a fresh deal this week, as the Alouettes inked Johnson to a two-year extension to retain his rights through the 2025 season. The new contract had been a priority for the team all year, but they were held at bay until the youngster had fully demonstrated what he was worth.
“We came at him early in this season because we felt that he was going to have a big season. We asked him to extend and he said, ‘I’m gonna bet on myself,'” Deslauriers revealed. “If you turn on that tape, you’ll see big Moose moving that offensive line back and he did a tremendous job of setting that anchor of our defence this year.”
While the Alouettes ultimately got the extension they desired, it remains to be seen if Johnson will play the full duration of that contract. At just 24 years old, he’s expected to receive NFL interest at some stage and could still explore options south of the border via the CFL’s workout window.
Either way, Montreal will be his CFL home for the next two seasons, giving the organization an exciting young piece to build around.
