The Hamilton Tiger-Cat’s new general manager, Ted Goveia, is sending a strong message during his first off-season. That message is if a player expects to receive a premium salary, they must perform at a premium level. Goveia sent that message by releasing defensive end Brandon Barlow just before he received a $30,000 bonus, according to reports by 3 Down Nation and Farhan Lalji of TSN.

During free agency in 2024, the Tiger-Cats signed Barlow and agreed to pay Barlow a base salary of $185,000 with the expectation that Barlow would be an elite pass rusher for the 2024 Tiger-Cats. During the season, Barlow produced 40 defensive tackles and five quarterback sacks while playing 18 games. While five sacks is a solid start for a defensive role player, it falls short for a player getting paid near the top of the CFL payscale for defensive players.

Barlow earned his payday with the Tiger-Cats while playing 23 games for the Toronto Argonauts over two seasons. While playing for Toronto, Barlow produced 88 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, and 15 quarterback sacks. The problem the Tiger-Cats faced with Barlow is a dual-edged sword: previous general manager and Edmonton Elks current general manager Ed Hervey over-paid for Barlow, and Barlow had a dip in production compared to his time with the Argonauts.

During free agency this season, Goveia has shown a commitment to bringing in players he trusts based on his experience with them while working for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Blue Bombers built a championship culture while Goveia worked for them, which resulted in five consecutive trips to the Grey Cup championship game. Goveia is building the 2025 Tiger-Cats roster with the vision that the Winnipeg roster was built with in mind over the last several seasons.

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