SportsCage analyst Arash Madani holds Montreal Alouettes' receiver Tyson Philpot's abilities in high regard, especially after his career best performance against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 15.
"Tyson Philpot, if he were three inches taller and three years younger, would be not just in the NFL, he'd be on his second contract in the NFL," Madani said on the SportsCage. "His comparison would be Joshua Palmer, drafted by the Chargers, now with the Bills."
Palmer, who is from Brampton, ON was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the third round, 77th overal in the 2021 NFL Draft. He stayed with the Chargers through 2024 and then signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Buffalo Bills in free agency in March.
Meanwhile, Philpot racked up 238 receiving yards on nine receptions while scoring two touchdowns in a 48-31 win over the Riders at Mosaic Stadium.
"This is the best way to put this into context, what you saw, that is the second-biggest receiver performance in Montreal Alouettes' franchise history," Madani explained. The best was set in 1956 by Hal Patterson. If you know CFL history, Patterson in Montreal is what Ron Lancaster is in Saskatchewan — without exaggeration."
That game Madani mentioned about Patterson occurred on September 29, 1956 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He caught 11 passes for 338 receiving yards as the Alouettes won 56-14.
Madani recalls one moment in Philpot's career which showcased his skill on the CFL's biggest stage.
"Remember the Grey Cup in 2023? Game on the line, inside the 20-yard line, inside 20 seconds — Cody Fajardo was going to only one guy on that play, it was Philpot who ran the route perfectly and turned Brandon Alexander inside out," Madani explained. "Look, this is a guy who continues to do it. He's one of the great Canadian players in the league."
He'll remember this one for the rest his life.@Tysonphilpot with 13 seconds on the clock to give the @MTLAlouettes the lead! #GreyCup pic.twitter.com/Wb7yZKu2nc
— CFL (@CFL) November 20, 2023
The five-foot-eleven, 190-pound receiver earned the 2023 Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian award after the Alouettes beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24.
This season, the 25-year-old Philpot has played seven games for Montreal, recording 37 receptions for 556 yards and five touchdowns. He began his career in the CFL when the Delta B.C. native was selected by the Als in the first round, ninth overall during the 2022 CFL Draft. Prior to the Week 15 match-up against the Riders, Philpot was dealing with a knee injury and had been on the six-game injured list.
That loss to the Alouettes puts the Riders record at 10-3. According to Madani, Saskatchewan's loss showcased some problems for the team.
"This is what we have learned, this is a good Riders team but when depth gets tested, they're gonna get torched on the outside of the numbers," Madani said. "I told you a couple of weeks ago already, Tevaughn Campbell's the best defensive player in the Canadian Football League in 2025 — you don't have him, the drop-off is what we saw and that was absolutely getting crushed. They need the bye week and could not come at a better time. They need Campbell back, they need [Marcus] Sayles back.”
McLeod Bethel-Thompson finished the game in Saskatchewan completing 20-of-26 passes for 379 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Green and White return to action on Saturday, September 27 to take on the Edmonton Elks. Teagan Witko, Justin Dunk and Wes Cates bring to you the pre-game show at 2 p.m. Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder have the game call at 5 p.m. Listen to our comprehensive coverage on 620 CKRM Co-operators Rider Broadcast Network.
