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January 26, 2026

Ticats extend Jake Dolegala; release Drew Wolitarsky

Jason Halstead/CFL.ca

HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced on Monday the team has extended American quarterback Jake Dolegala, and signed American running back Larry Rountree III and American receiver Jesse Matthews. Dolegala was scheduled to become a free agent in February.

The team also announced the release of receiver Drew Wolitarsky.

Dolegala, 29, re-joined the Tiger-Cats in June 2025 and suited up for 13 games, recording 22 carries for 50 yards and one touchdown. The six-foot-seven, 242-pound native of Hamburg, New York has spent time with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals (2019), New England Patriots (2020–21), Green Bay Packers (2021), and Miami Dolphins (2021), as well as the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders (2022–23), BC Lions (2024), and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2024). In 33 career CFL games, Dolegala has completed 247 of 394 passes for 2,953 yards and 12 touchdowns, while adding 51 carries for 162 yards and four touchdowns.

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Wolitarsky joined Hamilton in 2025 after seven seasons in Winnipeg, but didn’t register a stat. Overall the veteran had 227 catches for 2,954 yards and 18 touchdowns with the Blue Bombers.

Rountree III, 26, joins the Tiger-Cats following a professional career spanning the NFL and UFL. He was selected 198th overall in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers and appeared in 16 games, recording 49 carries for 106 yards and one touchdown, along with three receptions for 13 yards. Rountree later spent time with the Houston Texans in 2023 and the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions in 2024. The five-foot-10, 210-pound native of Raleigh, North Carolina played collegiately at the University of Missouri from 2017 to 2020, tallying 746 carries for 3,720 yards and 40 touchdowns, while adding 47 receptions for 289 yards.

Matthews, 26, most recently spent time with the Houston Texans in 2023 and the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after signing as an undrafted free agent. The six-foot, 180-pound native of San Diego, California played five collegiate seasons at San Diego State University (2018–23), appearing in 49 games and recording 174 receptions for 2,109 yards and 15 touchdowns.