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The Canadian Football League isn’t the billion-dollar behemoth like their NFL neighbors, south of the Canadian border. But the CFL’s enduring popularity in Canada and stable revenue engines have led to an increase in salary cap to $5.85 million.
Quarterbacks usually command top salaries that pit them as some of the highest-paid players in the league. The highest-paid CFL quarterbacks earn high six-figure salaries to lead their team’s offense in pursuit of The Grey Cup.
Zach Collaros commands a salary of $600K annually to take the top spot among the highest-paid CFL quarterbacks. Collaros has played in Winnipeg for five seasons.
The Blue Bombers quarterback has won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award twice. He’s been named the CFL’s best player three years in a row, according to TSN’s top 50 CFL players list.
Caleb Evans is the only quarterback on the list who doesn’t earn at least $100K. His teammate, Cody Fajardo, makes the list at fifth earning $432K.
Fajardo starts at quarterback for the Alouettes. His contract includes the opportunity to earn up to $18K as a playtime bonus if he plays in at least 51% of the team’s snaps.
Chad Kelly is the only quarterback on the list other than Zach Collaros to make over $500K. Kelly makes $583K playing for the Argonauts, good for second among the highest-paid quarterbacks.
He won the Most Outstanding Player award in 2023 after throwing for 4,123 yards and 23 touchdowns. Kelly is the nephew of Hall of Fame former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson of the Elks earns $461K to take the fourth spot.
Edmonton is the only CFL team on the list with only one quarterback represented. Each other team features two.
In a league where the minimum salary is $70K, the highest-paid CFL quarterbacks are well above that. Even a backup quarterback such as Matthew Shiltz of the Stampeders, 14th on the list, earns $37K more than the league minimum.
Ranking The Highest-Paid Quarterbacks in The CFL
Here is the entire list of the highest-paid CFL quarterbacks. The list was compiled with data from 3downnation.
- Updated: June 20, 2024
| Rank | Player | Team | Total Compensation |
| 1 | Zach Collaros | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | $600K |
| 2 | Chad Kelly | Toronto Argonauts | $583K |
| 3 | Trevor Harris | Saskatchewan Roughriders | $473K |
| 4 | McLeod Bethel-Thompson | Edmonton Elks | $461K |
| 5 | Cody Fajardo | Montreal Alouettes | $432K |
| 6 | Vernon Adams Jr | B.C. Lions | $403.8K |
| 7 | Jake Maier | Calgary Stampeders | $339K |
| 8 | Dru Brown | Ottawa Redblacks | $286K |
| 9 | Bo Levi Mitchell | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | $225.5K |
| 10 | Jeremiah Masoli | Ottawa Redblacks | $133.8K |
| 11 | Chris Streveler | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | $120K |
| 12 | Mason Fine | Saskatchewan Roughriders | $113K |
| 13 | Jake Dolegala | B.C. Lions | $110.8K |
| 14 | Matthew Shiltz | Calgary Stampeders | $107.5K |
| 15 | Caleb Evans | Montreal Alouettes | $95K |
Related lists:
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