{"id":522906,"date":"2026-03-08T17:07:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T17:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/522906\/"},"modified":"2026-03-08T17:07:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T17:07:09","slug":"after-silence-from-edmonton-kurleigh-gittens-jr-joins-hamilton-tiger-cats-to-form-best-receiver-group-in-cfl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/522906\/","title":{"rendered":"After silence from Edmonton, Kurleigh Gittens Jr. joins Hamilton Tiger-Cats to form best receiver group in CFL"},"content":{"rendered":"

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After six seasons in the Canadian Football League, Canadian receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. experienced free agency for the first time in his career.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old stated there were no contract extension discussions with the Edmonton Elks leading into the negotiation window.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very quiet, but it\u2019s a business and you can\u2019t take things too personal. I\u00a0didn\u2019t hear anything from their side,\u201d Gittens Jr. said. \u201cFor me, it was\u00a0trusting my agent Rob Fry and the process,\u00a0everything\u2019s going to work out the way it\u2019s supposed to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gittens Jr. did not know what to expect when he was able to communicate with other CFL teams coming off a 2025 season as the seventh-highest paid pass catcher in the three-down league<\/a>. He played in 17 games for the Green and Gold last year, recording 62 receptions for 777 yards with four touchdowns.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like from the start, Hamilton showed the most interest, so it was about being patient. We explored a little bit with Toronto. Montreal a little interest,\u00a0I don\u2019t think it was much really there like put out an offer, but the interest was there. A little bit from Calgary. A little interest from\u00a0teams feeling the waters and whatnot,\u201d Gittens Jr. said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was Hamilton from the get-go. They had a plan for me and you go where you\u2019re wanted. I felt like Hamilton wanted me the most and I wanted to be there. I wanted to get back to winning football.\u00a0It was, \u2018Let\u2019s make it happen.\u2019 They were really interested in me. It made sense for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Head coach Scott Milanovich spoke with Gittens Jr. during free agency, as did franchise quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. His former Toronto Argonauts teammate, defensive back Jamal Peters was in his ear as well. He heard from players past and present how great the organization treats its players in Steeltown. That all led to him signing a two-year contract with the Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n

The five-foot-11, 191-pound receiver produced the best campaign in his career to date in 2022. He registered 81 receptions for 1,101 yards with five touchdowns to help Toronto win the 109th Grey Cup. The Wilfrid Laurier University product was named a CFL all-star and earned a three-year, $620,000 contract extension. However, there has not been a 1,000-yard year on his resume since.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel like that level ever left, to be quite honest with you. I feel like with the situations I\u2019ve been in, I\u2019ve made the most out of it. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s me necessarily getting back to that level,\u00a0but I feel like my game has evolved and has gotten better from that point,\u201d Gittens Jr. said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve gotten smarter, I\u2019ve gotten faster, I\u2019ve gotten stronger. It\u2019s about the situations that I\u2019ve been in. If you go put on the tape, I feel like I haven\u2019t lost a step. My IQ and my knowledge of the game is growing. Being put in certain situations, I feel like I\u2019ve made the most out of it and coming out of it,\u00a0it\u2019s going to help me grow stronger as a player with the back end of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teaming up with Mitchell could boost Gittens Jr.\u2019s numbers. The 36-year-old has thrown for over 5,200 yards in back-to-back seasons. Two receivers went over 1,100 yards in 2024 with Hamilton while two more finished at 933. Last year, Kenny Lawler, Kiondre Smith and Tim White posted 1,443, 1,126, and 1,016 yards respectively.<\/p>\n

White was released by the Ticats and signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. His departure left many targets open for Gittens Jr. and Keric Wheatfall who were added to Hamilton\u2019s receiving group while Shemar Bridges was re-signed. Mitchell has a stacked unit on paper to distribute the football to within Milanovich\u2019s proven offensive scheme. Is it the No. 1 pass catching core in the CFL?<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like the only right answer to that is yes. I\u2019m going to say yes, not just because\u00a0those guys are my teammates, but\u00a0I\u2019m saying yes because of the way we compliment each other. If you put the film on, what we all do individually,\u00a0I feel like it all compliments each other,\u201d Gittens Jr. said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Bo being a gunslinger,\u00a0I feel like all you got to do is be you and make the plays that are there to be made.\u00a0Bo\u2019s definitely not slowing down. We got to be in the positions we need to be in and make the\u00a0plays that are there to be made. Everything else is going to work out itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamilton hopes its dynamic receivers can help the Ticats win the team\u2019s first Grey Cup since 1999 and end the league\u2019s longest CFL championship drought.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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