Als GM Maciocia says he hasn’t spoken to Green about returning to Alouettes

Montreal GM Danny Maciocia hasn’t spoken to veteran receiver S.J. Green about finishing his CFL career with the Alouettes.

Maciocia told reporters during a video conference Monday his primary focus of late has been preparing for the CFL draft, which will be held Thursday night. Last week, the 34-year-old Green told TSN he was intent on returning to Canada following a brief XFL tenure and his hope was to finish his Canadian football career with Montreal, the city where it all began in 2007.

But Maciocia was non-commital regarding Green’s return, adding there’s much more than just nostalgia to consider when it comes to bringing back a veteran player.

“I have not had any conversation with S.J. Green,” Maciocia said. “S.J. Green, I know that if I read and heard correctly, still has intentions of playing in 2020.

“Having said that, with S.J. Green regardless of whether he signs in the East or in the West, you always have to factor in how much and how it affects your cap and are you’re going to be bumping a youngster off your roster for a player that may potentially give you one more year of service.”

The six-foot-two, 217-pound Green has spent 13 seasons in Canada, the first 10 with Montreal and the last three with the Toronto Argonauts. In 170 career CFL games, Green has 716 catches for 10,222 yards with 60 TDs and has cracked the 1,000-yard plateau seven times (four with Montreal, three with Toronto).

He’s been a member of three Grey Cup-winning teams (2009-2010 with Montreal, 2017 with Toronto). Twice Green has been a league all-star (2013, 2017) and eight times an East Division selection.

And there’s no indication Green is slowing down with age. He enjoyed his best CFL season with Toronto in 2017 (169 catches, 1,462 yards and 10 TDs).

Green was a 1,000-yard performer in each of his three years with the Argos. He appeared in all 54 regular-season contests after missing the bulk of the ’16 campaign with Montreal with a serious knee injury.

Shortly after becoming a CFL free agent in February, Green signed a contract with the XFL. He began his tenure with Seattle Dragons before being dealt Feb. 19 to the Tampa Bay Vipers, where he was reunited with head coach Marc Trestman, who Green played for in both Montreal and Toronto.

Green had just one target with the Vipers before the XFL ceased operations April 10.

Maciocia said no matter where Green plays this season, he should be honoured by the Alouettes upon his retirement.

“Regardless of whether he plays another game, another down, another minute, I think he’s deserving to retire as an Alouette,” Maciocia said. “I’m hoping and I would suggest strongly to the organization that when that day does come that we strongly encourage him to come down to Montreal and have a ceremony for him because he’s been so deserving of everything he’s accomplished here as an Alouette.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2020.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press