A former Alouettes player announces his retirement and makes the leap to TV

A New Beginning at 38

Shawn Lemon is hanging up his cleats. The veteran defensive end for the Toronto Argonauts is retiring from the Canadian Football League (CFL) to take on a whole new challenge: he's becoming a CFL game analyst on the DAZN platform, he confirmed to the website 3DownNation.

It all happened very quickly. After helping the Argonauts defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a Friday night in Week 17, Lemon returned to Toronto and made a guest appearance on the TSN panel the following afternoon. By the very next day, DAZN had reached out to him.

The process, however, was anything but improvised. Lemon says he went through two rounds of interviews, followed by several on-camera tests—often early in the morning before heading to work with the Argos—since the company is based in the United Kingdom. He described working on between 15 and 20 trial games, from the regular season to the playoffs, alongside veteran play-by-play announcer James Cybulski. According to him, the chemistry between the two was instant.

DAZN Canada Vice President Deidra Dionne highlighted his energy, his passion for the game, and his high level of professionalism for someone new to television broadcasting. In fact, she was the one who suggested he transition from a panelist role to that of an in-game analyst.

Still Productive on the Field

Lemon could very well have continued playing. In 11 regular-season games in 2026, he recorded 19 defensive tackles, 9 quarterback sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and one pass deflection. But he says he fell in love with the role of analyst and felt the offer was too good to turn down. In the broadcast booth, he says, it feels like he's still playing.

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Lemon enjoyed a prolific career in the CFL. He lifted the Grey Cup three times with three different teams: Calgary in 2014, Toronto in 2017, and Montreal in 2023. He signed contracts with eight of the league's nine teams and surpassed the 100-career-sack mark.

His career, however, was marred by a lengthy suspension. In April 2024, shortly after his initial retirement announcement, the CFL suspended him indefinitely for betting on league games in 2021. He was reinstated in July 2025, on the condition that any further violation would result in a lifetime ban.

His arrival at DAZN coincides with the platform's entry into the CFL landscape. TSN has held the exclusive rights to the league since 2008, and DAZN becomes the first new company to broadcast games since CBC aired the 2007 Grey Cup final. Lemon insists he doesn't view the situation as a rivalry: his goal is to showcase the players and the league.

DAZN also plans to set up its panel—hosted by Brit Dort with Chris Streveler and Simoni Lawrence—right at the stadium for each of its Saturday night broadcasts.