It\u2019s not quite the same as an NFL payday.<\/p>\n
But, as far as salaries go in the CFL, it\u2019s pretty darn close.<\/p>\n
The BC Lions announced Tuesday that they have re-signed the CFL\u2019s reigning Most Outstanding Player Nathan Rourke to a contract extension that runs through the 2028 season.<\/p>\n
Rourke was already under contract in 2026, meaning the Lions have retained one of the CFL\u2019s most exciting players for three more seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fortunate to be part of an organization that believes in me and trusts me to lead both on and off the field,\u201d Rourke said in a press release.<\/p>\n
As TSN\u2019s Farhan Lalji reported on Tuesday<\/a>, Rourke\u2019s extension will ensure that he continues to be the CFL\u2019s highest-paid player.<\/p>\n The Victoria, B.C. native was already the CFL\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Either way, Rourke and the Lions set a historic mark with those deals, which will continue.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n If it weren\u2019t for the Toronto Argonauts signing Rocket Ismail to a ridiculous contract worth over $4 million per year back in the early 1990s<\/a>, Rourke would stand alone as the highest-paid player annually in the history of the CFL.<\/p>\n Since returning from an NFL stint in 2024, Rourke officially surpassed Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly as the CFL\u2019s 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\u2019s most well-compensated athlete.<\/p>\n If we were adjusting for inflation, one of the only contracts that comes close to Rourke\u2019s mark is Casey Printers\u2019 $500,000 annual salary, which he had after signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back in 2007.<\/p>\n Now that Rourke\u2019s made history, both with his salary and on-field performances, there\u2019s just one thing left.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited to keep chasing the goal of bringing a Grey Cup back to the West Coast,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n