Philpot closes in on Canadian receiving record as Alouettes host Bombers

MONTREAL — Tyson Philpot always imagined himself starring in the CFL, back when he and his twin brother, Jalen, traded tackles in the family backyard.

“Vivid memories of a white stripe on the football,” Philpot recalled. “I couldn’t even hold it under my arm.

“My dream was to play in the CFL, so truly living it.”

Not only is Philpot playing in the CFL, but he’s on the brink of breaking a record that has stood for nearly six decades.

The Montreal Alouettes wideout needs 135 receiving yards to surpass Terry Evanshen’s single-season Canadian mark of 1,662, set with the Calgary Stampeders in 1967, heading into Saturday night’s matchup against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Selected ninth overall in the 2022 CFL draft, Philpot has shown flashes of the production he’s capable of since he entered the league, but injuries have repeatedly ended seasons early.

This year, the 26-year-old from Delta, B.C., has stayed on the field for all 14 games and leads the CFL with 1,528 receiving yards — almost double his previous career high — and 12 touchdowns.

“I feel like I’ve always been capable of having great seasons like this, that’ve just always been cut short,” Philpot said Friday at Olympic Stadium. “Whether that’s just a fluke, whether that’s just me not taking care of my body the way I need to.

“I really feel like I was determined this off-season, I put my best foot forward coming into the year and had one of the best training camps in my career.”

The prolific results are hardly a surprise to those inside the Alouettes locker room. Head coach Jason Maas said Philpot’s commitment to improving has been on display since he took over along the sidelines in 2023.

“He’s just grown and grown and grown,” Maas said. “And then this year, starting in training camp from day one until now, we’ve seen the evolution and the playmaking ability.”

Philpot has the speed and hands expected of a top CFL receiver, but his ability after the catch is what stands out to Alouettes receivers coach Michael Lionello.

Lionello said Philpot has a natural gift for extending plays, much like his father, Cory, who starred as a CFL running back in the 1990s.

“He’s almost a running back after the catch, based on what he got from the genetics of his dad,” Lionello said of Philpot, who leads the league with 672 yards after the catch — 169 more than anyone else. “He’s just so physical and so violent, and really he’s fearless out there.”

“He can make people miss, but he can also run you over too,” Maas added. “He is a physical receiver.”

Beyond the great genes, Cory Philpot said his son also followed his example by becoming a student of the game.

“I studied my opponent. I knew who I was going to be against, and I knew by watching them, if they were weak, if they were strong, how they turned their feet,” Cory said. “And that’s one thing about Tyson — Tyson understands the person he’s playing against. He studies them.”

Montreal (11-3) could clinch first place in the East Division with a victory should the Toronto Argonauts lose their matchup against the B.C. Lions earlier Saturday. Winnipeg (7-7), meanwhile, is battling Calgary, B.C. and Saskatchewan for playoff positioning in a competitive West Division.

The Bombers upset the Alouettes 44-28 in Winnipeg on Aug. 28 and have surrendered a league-low 273.4 passing yards per game this season.

But Philpot — who could also flirt with Allen Pitts’ single-season receiving-yard record of 2,036 — has exceeded the 130 mark in five games this season, putting Evanshen’s long-standing record well within reach Saturday.

Not that Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander plans to target him any more than usual.

“That’s good to know,” Alexander said after being told Philpot was 135 yards shy. “But he knows the ball’s supposed to go to the open man.”

Evanshen set the record during a 14-year, Hall of Fame career. His life took a dramatic turn in 1988, when he was 44 and suffered severe injuries in a car crash. He spent a month in a coma and awoke with no memory of his life before the crash, and has since become a motivational speaker.

For Philpot, Evanshen’s name is written all over the CFL record books.

“Any time I look up any kind of record or anything, his name is always at the top,” Philpot said. “Consistency, defined greatness, and just to be having conversations with my name next to his, it’s surreal.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2026.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press