MONTREAL — The Montreal Alouettes have signed American quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson for the 2025 season, the team announced on Monday.
He was acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Elks last December and was set to become a free agent on February 11.
Bethel-Thompson threw for 3,748 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, ranking second in the league, in 16 games with the Elks in 2024.
“We are very happy with this agreement,” Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia said. “McLeod knows the CFL very well and knows how to win in this league. I look forward to seeing him work with us. He will know how to properly support our young quarterbacks with his experience, and he will bring a lot of depth to this position.”
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Bethel-Thompson joined Edmonton in 2024 after playing with the New Orleans Breakers in the United States Football League (USFL) in 2023. He led the USFL with 2,433 passing yards. In 10 games, he threw 10 touchdown passes.
A product of Sacramento State, Bethel-Thompson spent five seasons with the Toronto Argonauts (2017-2019, 2021-2022), accumulating 13,261 passing yards and 70 touchdowns in 74 games, including 46 as a starter.
His best season came in 2022, when he led the Argonauts to victory in the 109th Grey Cup. He finished that season as the CFL’s leader in passing yards with 4,731 yards and touchdowns, with 23. He also won the Grey Cup in 2017 as a backup quarterback with Toronto.