Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions
When T.J. Lee addressed the media at the conclusion of the 2024 season, it felt like the B.C. Lions’ longest-serving player was saying goodbye to the organization — or at least he was aware they were saying goodbye to him.
One year and one unexpected reunion later, he returned to the podium earlier this month with less overt emotion, but a future with the franchise still in limbo.
“I don’t know,” Lee said when asked what was different this time around. “There’s a lot of uncertainty.”
While the Lions took a substantial step forward in 2025, they are right back to where they started when it comes to the secondary. Last offseason, the team was forced to make decisions on two aging defensive backs, Lee and Garry Peters. This year, both are slated to hit free agency again, with no clear alternatives on the roster.
Lee is one of the franchise’s most decorated players, a likely future Ring of Honour inductee with five career all-star selections to his credit. Peters is not far removed from holding the title of best cornerback in the league, earning back-to-back All-CFL selections in 2022 and 2023. But both players are now 34 years old, which makes bringing them back a gamble.
“As these guys start getting older, yeah, you start to question some things,” general manager Ryan Rigmaiden acknowledged. “That’s only natural — Father Time’s undefeated. We’ll have those talks. There are times where all these guys played at a high level, and there are times where they didn’t. We’ll have to go through that review process.”
B.C. took their first crack at this decision-making process shortly after Rigmaiden was promoted to his current role last December. Peters was brought back on a new contract, while Lee was allowed to hit free agency after 11 years with the team. It was supposed to be the first step in a youth movement in the secondary, but that never properly materialized.
With the Lions sitting at 5-7 midway through the season and problems in the defensive backfield getting much of the blame, Lee was re-signed on September 10 after seven months on the street. He found himself re-inserted into the starting lineup a week later. The team went on to win their last six regular-season games and the West Semi-Final, before eventually coming up short in the West Final against Saskatchewan.
Lee made 31 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception in five games after coming in with fresh legs, adding nine more tackles and another forced fumble in the playoffs. While several other factors coincided with the start of the Lions’ winning streak, fans were quick to label his return as one of the catalysts.
“His ability to help with communication and leadership on the back end was absolutely tremendous,” Rigmaiden said, admitting that the team’s initial plans at the position didn’t pan out as hoped.
“Coming out of camp, we felt like Robert Carter was going to be a guy, and he has been — absolutely happy for that. We were hoping for another couple of guys, and it didn’t happen. Sometimes you have to lean on the vets.”
While Lee stole headlines late, nobody was relied on more in the secondary than Peters. In 16 games, the Clemson product made 49 tackles, a forced fumble, and three interceptions. He battled a sprained knee and a hairline tear to his meniscus over the back half of the season, but pushed through to play both playoff games, making six tackles.
The public perception remains that Peters has lost a step, but he remains firmly in the top half of starters in the CFL and earned the ninth-highest grade by a cornerback last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Sources indicate that he will evaluate all options for his knee this offseason, including a surgery or scope, but believes he’ll be healthy in time for his 10th training camp.
Lee also doesn’t seem to be in a rush to retire, even as the inevitable end of his career draws closer. He heeded the advice of mentors to be patient last offseason and feels it paid off once his number was called.
“I don’t have to make that decision today. All I know is I’m not retiring unless I feel like I want to,” he said. “I could not get picked up for the next three years, and then decide to retire. Regardless, as long as I’m happy with it, that’s all that matters, because I put in this work, and I deserve it to be on my terms.”
That puts the pressure on the Lions to determine once again whether either player has reached their best before date, or if they remain the best options available despite the length of their teeth. Either way, expect secondary reinforcements to be a scouting focus this offseason in the hopes of building a more sustainable succession plan.