New Orleans Saints waive former CFL receiver Damien Alford

Courtesy: CFL.

The New Orleans Saints have waived Canadian receiver Damien Alford with an injury designation, the team announced on Wednesday. According to sources, the injury is not long-term, likely keeping him out for one to two weeks.

The six-foot-five, 224-pound target signed with the team in January after an NFL workout tour that also included a stop with the New York Jets. 3DownNation reported at the time that Alford also received workout interest from the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Denver Broncos.

The 25-year-old played 15 regular-season games with the Calgary Stampeders in 2025. He made 20 receptions for 407 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 20.4 yards per catch average. He started six regular-season games and one playoff game.

Alford was selected by the Stampeders with the first overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft. He initially deferred his draft eligibility from 2025 to 2026 as he planned to transfer to Florida Atlantic University, though he later reversed course and elected to enter the professional ranks.

The native of Montreal, Que. played four games during his final collegiate season at the University of Utah in 2024 but did not record any receptions. He previously played at Syracuse University, where he caught 67 passes for 1,291 yards and seven touchdowns, and served as a team captain in 2023.

Alford attended the Miami Dolphins local pro day in 2025 after he ran a 4.46-second forty-yard dash, 4.46-second short shuttle, and 7.06-second three-cone drill at the Big 12 pro day in Frisco, Texas. He also recorded 11 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, a 32-inch vertical jump, and a ten-foot, six-inch broad jump.

Should he choose to return north, the Stampeders hold Alford’s exclusive CFL rights through the end of the 2027 season.

John Hodge is a longtime Canadian football reporter, insider, and podcaster for 3DownNation. Based in Winnipeg, Hodge is also a freelance television and radio broadcaster and curling reporter for Rock Channel.