MONTREAL — Rakeem Cato might still have a future as a starting CFL quarterback, but it may not be in Montreal according to the Montreal Gazette‘s Herb Zurkowsky.

Zurkowsky tweeted Monday evening that Cato could be among a number of veterans released by the Alouettes this week, only days after the team acquired Vernon Adams from the BC Lions:

Am told QB Rakeem Cato might be one of a number of #Als‘ veterans released this week. Team tried trading him recently. — Herb Zurkowsky (@HerbZurkowsky1) May 23, 2016

The Alouettes also made news Tuesday by confirming that Kevin Glenn will be the team’s starting quarterback going into training camp.

The Als traded a first round pick in 2017 for Adams’ exclusive negotiation rights on Friday night, then on Sunday officially announced the two sides had struck a deal. Zurkowsky reports Adams turned down a deal from the Lions before being traded to Montreal, then agreeing to a three-year deal with the Als.

While Adams, 23, immediately becomes one of the league’s top young quarterback prospects, Cato’s apparent descent is a curious one. It wasn’t long ago that the Marshall graduate staked his claim as the Alouettes’ quarterback of the future with a breakout 2015 campaign.

Cato was only 23 years old himself when pressed into action early last year due to a string of injuries, shocking the football world in his first career professional start with 241 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-25 passing to lead Montreal to an upset win over Calgary.

In his first pro season, Cato played in 12 games for the Als completing 174 of his 215 pass attempts (80 per cent) with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. He threw for 2,167 yards and rushed for another 160 on the ground plus a touchdown.

Zurkowsky also reported the Alouettes have tried to trade Cato since acquiring Adams.

While Jonathon Jennings and Travis Lulay blocked his path in BC, Adams likely saw a better chance to start in Montreal despite the Als having seven other quarterbacks on the roster.

Veteran 36-year-old Glenn is the team’s likely starter this year, while Cato flashed potential as one of a few up-and-coming pivots on the roster. Tajh Boyd, 25 and a former starter for Clemson, was brought in by the Alouettes in 2015, while Canadian and fan favourite Brandon Bridge made a successful first career start in last year’s season finale

Jonathan Crompton is the other veteran pivot on the quarterback depth chart behind Glenn, as the Als have some difficult decisions to make in the next month leading up to the regular season.

After a solid college career with Marshall in which he averaged 265.6 passing yards per game and threw 131 touchdowns against 44 interceptions, Cato went undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft before landing a deal with the Alouettes.

His dazzling debut against the Stamps earned him Shaw Top Performer for that week, while he was one of three Shaw Top Performers named for the month of July.

The 6-foot, 181-pound Miami native turned 24 in March.