The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have released Canadian linebacker Devin Veresuk to allow him to pursue an NFL opportunity.
“Devin is a hard-working young player with a great attitude who earned his way into a starting role,” said president of football operations Orlondo Steinauer in a statement. “He consistently put in the work and handled things the right way. We’re proud of what he accomplished here and are supportive of him as he explores this next opportunity.”
The 24-year-old was the second overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft and made 15 regular-season starts at middle linebacker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as a rookie. He recorded 66 defensive tackles, three special team tackles, two sacks, two touchdowns, one forced fumble, and one interception. He was named the East Division’s nominee for Most Outstanding Rookie.
The native of Windsor, Ont. played collegiately at the University of Windsor where he registered 160 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, nine sacks, five pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, and one interception returned for a touchdown. He was named an OUA all-star in 2024.
The six-foot-two, 240-pound defender attended the University at Buffalo pro day earlier this year where he ran a blazing 4.47-second 40-yard dash. He also recorded a 4.47-second shuttle, 7.19-second three-cone drill, 27 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, a 36-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot, four-inch broad jump.
It remains unclear which team Veresuk is set to join down south. He worked out for the New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished first in the East Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record, though the team lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Bo Levi Mitchell led the CFL with 5,296 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions after starting all 18 regular-season games, earning the East Division’s nomination for Most Outstanding Player.
The Tiger-Cats ranked third in net offence, eighth in net defence, and first with a turnover differential of plus-ten. The club’s leading rusher was Greg Bell with 1,038 yards, leading receiver was Kenny Lawler with 1,443 yards, and leading tackler was Stavros Katsantonis with 69 tackles. Hamilton ranked fourth in attendance with average crowds of 22,858, which was a 3.9 percent increase from the previous year.
