Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca
The Ottawa Redblacks have granted strong-side linebacker Adarius Pickett an early release.
“After discussions with his agent, we have decided to release Adarius to allow him to pursue free agency,” said vice-president of football operations Shawn Burke in a statement. “We would like to thank Adarius for his contributions to our club over the past two seasons both on and off the field. We wish him all the best moving forward.”
The 29-year-old was a pending free agent. He was named All-East Division in 2024 and 2025 as a member of the Redblacks, recording 136 defensive tackles, 28 special teams tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. He received these accolades despite suffering a torn Achilles late in the 2024 season.
The native of Berkeley, Calif. has played 79 regular-season CFL games over five seasons with the Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts, and Redblacks, making 337 defensive tackles, 66 special teams tackles, 14 sacks, five forced fumbles, and four interceptions.
Pickett is a one-time All-CFL and three-time All-East Division selection. He was also the East Division’s nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player while playing for the Argonauts in 2023.
The Ottawa Redblacks finished fourth in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Dru Brown went 2-7 over nine starts at quarterback, throwing for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Dustin Crum went 2-4 over six starts, throwing for 1,771 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The Redblacks ranked sixth in net offence, fifth in net defence, and ninth with a turnover differential of minus-16. The club’s leading rusher was William Stanback with 698 yards, leading receiver was Justin Hardy with 1,019 yards, and leading tackler was Adarius Pickett with 84 tackles. Ottawa finished eighth in attendance with average crowds of 18,136, which was a 4.2 percent decrease from the previous year.
