The Ottawa Redblacks released linebacker Zachary Philion and defensive back C.J. Coldon on Wednesday.
Zachary Philion is six foot one and weighs 221 pounds. The 26-year-old from Buffalo, New York, re-signed with the Ottawa Redblacks on September 22, 2025. He played in two more regular-season games with one tackle on special teams.
The Ottawa Redblacks drafted Philion in the seventh round (58th pick) in the 2024 CFL Draft. Philion appeared in two preseason games for the Redblacks. After the preseason, he was placed on the practice squad.
The Redblacks released Philion on June 19, 2024. The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed Philion on August 13, 2024. He appeared in one game for the Roughriders in 2024. The Roughriders released him on August 31, 2024.
Saskatchewan re-signed Philion on September 27, 2024. He appeared in two more games with one tackle on special teams. The Roughriders released him on October 25, 2024. He re-signed with the Roughriders on October 26, 2024. He played two additional games in 2024 with one tackle on special teams. The Roughriders released him again on November 10, 2024.
The Roughriders re-signed Philion on November 19, 2024. He attended training camp and was released on May 10, 2025. The Ottawa Redblacks signed Philion to the practice squad on August 17, 2025. In 2025, he made one tackle on special teams in one game against the Edmonton Elks. The Redblacks released him on September 18, 2025.
Collegiately, Philion played one season at New Mexico Military Institute in 2019 with nine tackles (6 solos, 3 assists), one interception, and two pass breakups in eight games for the Broncos.
Then, he transferred to Concordia (2021-23) with 103 tackles (69 solos, 34 assists), 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception for two yards, 10 pass breakups, and one forced fumble in 24 games for the Stingers.
C.J. Coldon is five foot ten and weighs 186 pounds. The 27-year-old from Belleville, Illinois, re-signed with the Ottawa Redblacks on February 28, 2025. In 2025, Coldon made 55 tackles, one tackle on special teams, three interceptions, and one forced fumble in 17 games.
The Minnesota Vikings signed Coldon as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023. In 2023, he made two tackles (2 solos) and one pass breakup in one preseason game. He made the practice squad, and the team released him on November 1, 2023.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed Coldon on January 29, 2024. He played in two preseason games with three tackles and one tackle on special teams. The Roughriders released him on June 1, 2024. The Ottawa Redblacks signed Coldon to the practice squad on September 3, 2024. The Redblacks released him on November 3, 2024. The Redblacks re-signed him on November 4, 2024.
Collegiately, Coldon played four seasons at Wyoming (2018-21) with 112 tackles (78 solos, 34 assists), 6.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, 17 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and one touchdown in 24 games for the Cowboys.
Then, he transferred to Oklahoma in 2022 with 43 tackles (25 solo, 18 assists), two tackles for loss, four interceptions for 32 yards, and ten pass breakups in 12 games for the Sooners. He was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention after the season.
