Ottawa Redblacks Re-Sign CFL All-Star Punter Richie Leone
Special teams continue to play an increasingly critical role in football. With this idea in mind, the Ottawa Redblacks are securing their punting ace to a new contract.
CFL All-Star punter Richie Leone and the Redblacks agreed to a one-year extension, the team announced Monday.
“Punting footballs at TD Place is my absolute favorite thing to do and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue doing it with the REDBLACKS,” Leone said in a statement Monday. “I love this city and this organization and I’m counting down the days until we’re back on the field. Until then, see you on the canal!”
Locked in for 2024🔏
— Ottawa REDBLACKS (@REDBLACKS) December 11, 2023
We've re-signed @CFL All-Star Punter @RichieLeone15!#ALLIN | 📝: https://t.co/6ktFPXNUrH pic.twitter.com/yebHSvL0qD
Leone is a veteran in the CFL after first joining the league back in 2014 with the BC Lions. He has been named an All-Star five times in his career, the past five seasons of which he has spent with the Redblacks.
Last year, Leone had an average length per punt of 47.6 yards, which was tied for the second-highest in the CFL. He finished the season as a CFL East All-Star and a CFL All-Star.
In between CFL contracts, Leone has also done brief stints in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals.
Ottawa finished the regular season tied for league-worst with a 4-14 overall record, missing the playoffs for the fourth-straight year after three Grey Cup appearances from 2015-18.
Ottawa Redblacks Pending Free Agents
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Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.