Photo courtesy: Paul Yates/B.C. Lions
Keon Hatcher has waited patiently for his CFL payday, and it is finally time to cash in.
The CFL’s reigning receiving yardage leader is scheduled to hit free agency in February, and while he values the comfortable fit he has with the B.C. Lions, he will need a commensurate raise to stick around.
“I just want to get what I deserve, man,” Hatcher said earlier this month. “I feel like I’ve had a few solid years in this league, and because of the injury, it took a little time for me to be compensated for what I’ve done on the field. I feel like it’s time for it to be my turn.”
You’d be forgiven for assuming that at 31 years old, Hatcher had already received his fair share of the CFL salary pie. After all, he is a three-time thousand-yard receiver and a two-time All-CFL selection. However, circumstances have never allowed him to capitalize financially on that success.
After making peanuts like most young CFL players, Hatcher’s first opportunity for a substantial pay bump came following the 2023 season. He was coming off consecutive thousand-yard seasons and finished 43 yards shy of the league lead in receiving yardage that year, despite missing two games due to injury. Unfortunately, his season ended with a torn Achilles tendon in the West Final, putting his 2024 campaign in jeopardy and destroying his leverage in negotiations.
Hatcher rejoined the Lions on a three-year contract extension, which was cleverly backloaded to compensate for his injury. He’d play for a discount in 2024, earning just $83,800 in hard money and $115,800 after playtime bonuses, in exchange for all-star calibre compensation in 2025 and 2026. That promise was never delivered on, as B.C. attempted to renegotiate the contract after he rushed back from the injury and underwhelmed with just 38 catches for 608 yards in 11 games.
The Lions released Hatcher before his scheduled offseason bonus when a deal couldn’t be reached, though the two sides quickly made amends and reunited one day later. The new contract, a one-year deal, shaved $43,800 in hard money off of his 2025 paycheque, knocking him out of the top 20 in CFL receiving salaries.
After Hatcher racked up 102 catches for 1,688 yards and nine touchdowns this year, you could argue that he was at least 20 spots lower than he should have been.
“I don’t know. You tell me, man,” Hatcher shrugged coyly when asked if he deserves to be the CFL’s highest-paid receiver.
“I’m just thankful for this position that I’m in, coming back from that injury. That’s not an easy one, but ultimately, my faith, I knew I’d be back here, top receiver in the league. I’m just thankful to be in that spot.”
After nearly maxing out his incentive structure, Hatcher took home $168,000 last season — no small chunk of change, but well below market value. By contrast, Hamilton’s Kenny Lawler, who finished with 245 fewer yards and finished second in the league, earned an even $300,000. Two members of the Lions’ own receiving corps, Justin McInnis and Jevon Cottoy, made more money than the leader of the group.
The Lions are aware that the financial dynamic will have to change next season, but making it happen will be no easy feat. The team is locked into monster contracts with M.O.P. quarterback Nathan Rourke, M.O.D.P. pass rusher Mathieu Betts, and McInnis, among others, while players like left tackle Jarell Broxton will also require a sizeable raise. Even with the salary cap expected to go up, not every player can be accommodated.
“This is the salary cap world we’re living in,” general manager Ryan Rigmaiden acknowledged. “Keon has played absolutely magnificently. He’s earned a bigger paycheck. We are happy to have him. He’s a tremendous player.”
“We’re going to go through all that, we’re going to prioritize the guys that we need to bring back, and the guys that we’ll talk to. But I’ll say this: Keon, I think, is the best receiver in the league. Absolutely love the guy. Love what he brings downstairs in the locker room as well, and we’ll do everything we can to get him.”
In 71 career CFL games, Hatcher has amassed 305 receptions for 4,779 yards and 22 touchdowns. His 2025 season was the fifth-best ever by a Lions receiver, trailing only Geroy Simon (2006, 2004), Darren Flutie (1994), and Mervyn Fernandez (1985) in terms of yardage.
If the six-foot-one, 212-pound target were to reach the open market, B.C. is unlikely to be his only suitor, which puts pressure on the team to get a deal done expediently. Even so, an extension before the new year would appear unlikely.
“We’re not in the best cap shape right now. We’re not going to be over the cap, I can promise you that, but at the same time, when these deals are done, bonuses for a player like this get pretty sizable,” Rigmaiden admitted. “We’ve had starting conversations, but we didn’t want to get too far into it before we knew where we were at.”
Hatcher has proven in the past that he’s willing to be patient and said he won’t put a timeline on when negotiations need to commence. There are plenty of reasons for him to want to stay in Vancouver — existing relationships, an offensive-minded head coach, and a generational quarterback, to name just a few — but the team’s budget isn’t in his control.
“That’s not really up to me. It’s not my call,” he said. “I’ve been here my whole career. I love it here. Hopefully, we can get some business done, but I’ll let that take care of itself when we get there.”