The BC Lions announced on Friday the signing of LB Darnell Sankey to a one-year contract. Sankey was previously with the Montreal Alouettes for 3 seasons, where he won a Grey Cup in 2023. He is a 3-time CFL divisional all-star.
He was set to become a free agent in February, but was released by Montreal last Friday as a courtesy to help allow Sankey to get a head start on free agency.
Darnell Sankey – Sacramento State (6’0”, 242 lbs)
Darnell Sankey joined the Montreal Alouettes midway through the 2023 season after taking a hiatus from the CFL and winning a 2023 XFL Championship with the Arlington Renegades. He joined the Alouettes, who were 7-7 at the time, and the team went on to win their final 4 regular season games and go on to win the Grey Cup. Sankey remains the only player to win both an XFL/USFL/UFL Championship and a Grey Cup in the same year.
“Darnell is a proven impact player in this league. He will improve our linebacker room and bring the grit and toughness we’re looking for on our defence,” stated Lions’ General Manager Ryan Rigmaiden.
Sankey played a vital part in Montreal’s recent trips to the Grey Cups. This past postseason, he recorded 13 tackles and an interception. For how I track stops, he made 2 solo run stops, 6 shared run stops, 3 solo stops against the pass, and 2 shared stops against the pass over the 3 playoff games.
In Montreal’s Grey Cup-winning run in 2023, he made 22 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 passes defended, and a fumble recovery over postseason games. He had 3 solo run stops and 3 shared run stops over that postseason (by my count).
Sankey has played in 42 regular-season games for Montreal, recording 239 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions. He has played in 74 total CFL regular-season games, racking up 456 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 8 forced fumbles.
In the XFL, he recorded 47 total tackles (20 solo, 27 assisted) and a sack over 8 regular-season games with the Arlington Renegades in 2023 and added 2 solo tackles and 6 assisted tackles in the postseason.
Sankey’s CFL career began with Calgary in 2021, where he recorded 97 tackles. In 2022, he had 120 tackles, 3 sacks, an interception, and 2 forced fumbles with Saskatchewan. Prior to joining the CFL, he played in 6 games with the Indianapolis Colts and also had stints with Denver, Oakland, Kansas City, Baltimore, and Detroit between 2016 and 2020.