Since the start of the new year, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have lost a couple of their top defensive players. The first to move on was American defensive tackle Casey Sayles, who appeared to be released by the Tiger-Cats to improve Hamilton’s salary cap situation as they prepare for the free agency period next month. Another defensive casualty was East Division Most Outstanding Rookie Devin Veresuk, who left the Tiger-Cat to pursue NFL opportunities and has reportedly been signed by the Indianapolis Colts to a reserve contract. On the other hand, the Tiger-Cats have been aggressive when it comes to re-signing several impact players on the defensive side of the ball, including cornerback Jamal Peters and safety Stavros Katsantonis.

The next Tiger-Cats defensive player to agree to a contract extension is All-CFL defensive end Julian Howsare, who is coming off a career-best 13-sack season.

During his seven-year CFL career, Julian Howsare has developed a reputation for being one of the most creative pass rushers in the league. That creativity has resulted in Howsare recording 45 quarterback sacks during his time in the CFL, and in 2025, he registered 13 of those. In 2025, Howsare’s effort led to the American defensive end being named an All-CFL player and selected as the 2025 Eastern Division Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

In addition to having one of the highest pass-rush win rates in the CFL, Howsare has also contributed to his team’s defensive efforts during the 118 games he has played in during his career. Howsare has recorded a career total of 239 defensive tackles. During the 2025 season, Howsare forced two fumbles, knocked down 7 passes, intercepted a pass, and scored a defensive touchdown after recovering a fumble.

The 6’3″, 255-pound Howsare is a native of Altoona, Pennsylvania. Howsare played college football at NCAA Division II Clarion University, and he spent time with the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. In addition to playing for the Tiger-Cats, Howsare also played two seasons with the Calgary Stampeders during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

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