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Adarius Pickett will be back with the Ottawa Redblacks next season.
When he’s ready to play in a game again, however, remains to be seen.
The Redblacks announced Friday that they have agreed to a one-year deal with the 28-year-old defensive back known as “The Party Starter.”
It’s a big check-mark on GM Shawn Burke’s list of players he wanted to reach a deal with before the CFL free-agent period, which begins Feb. 11 at noon.
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But the signing also comes with a question mark, as Pickett still is rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in Week 15 last season.
“All reports show that he is on time or ahead of schedule,” Burke said. “That being said, we won’t put dates or timelines on his recovery. We will continue to work with Adarius and all of the medical people working with him to make sure he is back on the field at the time that is best for him.”
Along with being a divisional all-star, Pickett was one of the Redblacks most valuable players last season.
In just 13 games, he recorded 52 defensive tackles, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble. He was also a dominant force on special teams, with 14 tackles.
“Adarius had an immeasurable impact on our team during his first season with us,” Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce said. “He is not only an incredible talent, but an emotional leader for our group, with his positive energy and boundless compete level constantly energizing the people around him. We can’t wait to see him back on the field with us this year.”
PIckett’s “message of the day” on his X account Thursday was cryptic: “It’s time to decide if you want what’s familiar or what’s better.”
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On Friday, in announcing to fans that he was returning to Ottawa, he wrote on ‘X’ that he “did the right thing.”
“The party returns in the nation’s capital for the 2025 season,” Pickett said in a statement released by the team. “2024 was a special season at home for the Ottawa Redblacks, going 7-1-1 at TD Place. I believe there is some unfinished business, as the season was cut short for me while contributing to the team’s success. I’m coming back to finish what was started in 2024.”
Pickett was a CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player finalist with the Toronto Argonauts in 2023 after spending the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Montreal Alouettes.
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A native of Berkeley, Calif., he played his college football at UCLA, before spending time with the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, and New England Patriots, before making his way to Canada.
Through 61 career CFL games, Pickett has tallied 305 total tackles, 12 sacks, three interceptions, and five forced fumbles.
Unofficially, the Redblacks still have 15 names on their list of unsigned players.
Among the key names are middle linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox, WRs Jaelon Acklin and Devonte Dedmon, and DBs Damon Webb and Deandre Lamont.
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