It’s not quite the same as an NFL payday.

But, as far as salaries go in the CFL, it’s pretty darn close.

The BC Lions announced Tuesday that they have re-signed the CFL’s reigning Most Outstanding Player, Nathan Rourke, to a contract extension that runs through the 2028 season.

Rourke was already under contract in 2026, meaning the Lions have retained one of the CFL’s most exciting players for three more seasons.

“I’m fortunate to be part of an organization that believes in me and trusts me to lead both on and off the field,” Rourke said in a press release.

As TSN’s Farhan Lalji reported on Tuesday, Rourke’s extension will ensure that he continues to be the CFL’s highest-paid player.

The Victoria, B.C., native was already the CFL’s highest-paid player last season, bringing in $624,000 after an offseason contract restructuring. He was originally projected to make $809,000 last year, before he agreed to rework his contract.

Either way, Rourke and the Lions set a historic mark with those deals, which will continue.

Rourke is not only the highest-paid player in the CFL right now, but he also holds the most lucrative contract among all Canadian players in league history.

If it weren’t for the Toronto Argonauts signing Rocket Ismail to a ridiculous contract worth over $4 million per year back in the early 1990s, Rourke would stand alone as the highest-paid player annually in the history of the CFL.

Since returning from an NFL stint in 2024, Rourke officially surpassed Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly as the CFL’s highest-paid player. And, unless another young quarterback comes along and posts an MOP-like performance, Rourke seems likely to stay atop the perch as the league’s most well-compensated athlete.

If we were adjusting for inflation, one of the only contracts that comes close to Rourke’s mark is Casey Printers’ $500,000 annual salary, which he had after signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back in 2007.

Now that Rourke’s made history, both with his salary and on-field performances, there’s just one thing left.

“I’m excited to keep chasing the goal of bringing a Grey Cup back to the West Coast,” he said.

Hopefully for Rourke and the Lions, they can make that a reality during his contract. Even just appearing in a Grey Cup game would help the Lions end the league’s longest active drought without appearing in the championship game.