Covering the Canucks for Daily Hive since 2019. Also co-host of the Locked On Canucks Podcast alongside Kyle Bhawan.

It&#8217;s not quite the same as an NFL payday.
But, as far as salaries go in the CFL, it&#8217;s pretty darn close.
The BC Lions announced Tuesday that they have re-signed the CFL&#8217;s reigning Most Outstanding Player, Nathan Rourke, to a contract extension that runs through the 2028 season.
Rourke was already under contract in 2026, meaning the Lions have retained one of the CFL&#8217;s most exciting players for three more seasons.
&#8220;I’m fortunate to be part of an organization that believes in me and trusts me to lead both on and off the field,&#8221; Rourke said in a press release.
As TSN&#8217;s Farhan Lalji <a href="https://x.com/FarhanLaljiTSN/status/2016273752762548399" target="_blank">reported on Tuesday</a>, Rourke&#8217;s extension will ensure that he continues to be the CFL&#8217;s highest-paid player.
The Victoria, B.C., native was already the CFL&#8217;s 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.
Either way, Rourke and the Lions set a historic mark with those deals, which will continue.
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.
If it weren&#8217;t for the Toronto Argonauts signing Rocket Ismail to a ridiculous contract worth over $4 million per year <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sportslongform/entry/rocket-ismail-argos" target="_blank">back in the early 1990s</a>, Rourke would stand alone as the highest-paid player annually in the history of the CFL.
Since returning from an NFL stint in 2024, Rourke officially surpassed Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly as the CFL&#8217;s 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&#8217;s most well-compensated athlete.
If we were adjusting for inflation, one of the only contracts that comes close to Rourke&#8217;s mark is Casey Printers&#8217; $500,000 annual salary, which he had after signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back in 2007.
Now that Rourke&#8217;s made history, both with his salary and on-field performances, there&#8217;s just one thing left.
&#8220;I’m excited to keep chasing the goal of bringing a Grey Cup back to the West Coast,&#8221; he said.
Hopefully for Rourke and the Lions, they can make that a reality during his contract. Even just appearing in a Grey Cup game would help the Lions end <a href="https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-lions-cfl-worst-drought-saskatchewan" target="_blank">the league&#8217;s longest active drought</a> without appearing in the championship game.
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Vancouver

The BC Lions announced on Tuesday that they had signed Nathan Rourke to an extension that runs through 2028.