Dominique Davis knows there aren’t many opportunities in pro football for 35-year-old backup quarterbacks, so will make the most of his latest opportunity with the Alouettes for however long it lasts.
“It means the world to me, especially coming back to Montreal,” he said. “I felt like I left here on really good terms. Things happen for a reason. I’m not going to question it and will go with the flow. I’ll use this opportunity and take the best advantage of it.”
Davis was home in Florida settling into his new job as a government contracting specialist in the freight logistics world earlier this week when the call came from Als general manager Danny Maciocia, in search of a short-yardage quarterback to replace Caleb Evans, who suffered a season-ending injury last Friday against Hamilton.
Nearing the halfway mark of the CFL regular season, Davis figured his career was over after not being re-signed by B.C. The eight-year veteran spent 2022 with Montreal before signing with the Lions as a free agent the following season. But there’s not a huge market for backup quarterbacks in their mid-30s, he quickly discovered. Nonetheless, turning the page on a career spent mostly in the shadow of the starter, Davis discovered, wasn’t easy.
“I kind of figured honestly that’s probably it for me,” said Davis, who also has played for Winnipeg and Ottawa, the 2019 season with the Redblacks the only time he received legitimate playing time as a starter. “Turning the page (on his career) was tough. I didn’t see it ending this early in my career. It’s still a tough question to answer. I don’t know how to turn that page and was still trying to turn that page. But we’re here now and I’m grateful.”
With Cody Fajardo still recovering from a hamstring injury, Davis Alexander is expected to make his second consecutive start Saturday night at Molson Stadium against the Tiger-Cats. Dominique Davis should dress as the backup, with rookie James Morgan in uniform as the third-string pivot. When Fajardo returns, Morgan, a former fourth-round 2020 New York Jets draft choice, will go back on the practice roster.
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Davis is built for short-yardage situations. And while ball security has been an issue throughout his career, his arm is stronger than Evans’s. In 82 career games, Davis has passed for 3,967 yards and 14 touchdowns but been intercepted 21 times.
His most successful season came in 2019, with Ottawa. In 10 games, he passed for 2,216 yards and five touchdowns but was intercepted 14 times. In 2022 with the Als, backing up Trevor Harris, he scored 13 short-yardage touchdowns while passing for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted twice. Alexander was a rookie on that team.
Davis that season might have been best remembered for leaping into the stands in Winnipeg following his second short-yardage touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and after throwing a football at the Blue Bombers’ logo. While a spectator threw a punch at Davis, who wisely never removed his helmet, he escaped unscathed. Davis wasn’t fined by the CFL for the incident, but admitted receiving a warning in writing from the league, advising him not to repeat the scenario.
Davis believes he can quickly learn the Als’ playbook this week, having played under a similar system last season. While he was disappointed not to be re-signed in B.C., where he would have backed up former Alouette Vernon Adams Jr., Davis has come to understand the business side of his profession.
“There’s some stuff that was out of my control,” he said. “When you’re a 35-year-old backup quarterback, things can be a little tough for you. It also wasn’t my decision to leave Montreal. Danny and the (front office) had to make decisions. I’m pretty sure they wanted to go younger. You can’t deny their decision. They got a championship out of it. It’s just the business.”
Davis likely realizes this season will be the last of his career, and has vowed to leave everything he has on the field. This time, he realizes there can be no regrets.
“I’ll play with passion, bring energy and play hard,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes for us to win a championship.”
Davis laughed that his old No. 4 uniform remained available from two seasons back. “Maybe it was meant to be to come back here,” he said.