Athletes

The 25 Highest-Paid CFL Players

Nine quarterbacks are among the highest-paid CFL players.
Only six defensive players made the list.

May 19, 2024 | 11:53 am

UPDATED Apr 22, 2025 | 11:24 am

Jun 13, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8). Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL’s cousins to the north, the CFL (Canadian Football League) have to play in the shadows of the sports behemoth both in talent and earnings. However, the highest-paid CFL players of 2025 still do relatively well compared to the league average of $73,200.

Nathan Rourke is the highest-paid CFL player of 2025. He plays quarterback for the B.C. Lions and earns $455,666 yearly. Rourke’s popularity in Canada and his play when he was last with the Lions in 2022 justify the top salary.

He signed for the Lions last August after getting cut by the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

Chad Kelly comes in second, raking in $449,000 a year. He’s the nephew of Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly and won the 2023 Most Outstanding Player award for the CFL.

Third on the list is Zach Collaros of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He signed his deal for $438,000 with the Blue Bombers in 2022. Collaros posted career-highs in 2023 in passing yards and average yards per completion.

Vernon Adams Jr. holds the fourth spot on the highest-paid CFL players list. He earns a salary of $339,450 with the Calgary Stampeders. Adams Jr. was recently traded to the Stampeders to boost their chances of lifting the Grey Cup this season.

The fifth highest-paid CFL player is another quarterback, Trevor Harris of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. After signing a one-year extension, Harris will earn $299,781 this year.

Unsurprisingly, quarterbacks dominate the highest-paid CFL players list.

Considered one of the toughest positions to play in sports, nine quarterbacks are among the top 25 highest-paid players. This includes the top seven highest earners.

Out of the top 25 highest-paid players in the CFL, 76% play on the offense. Only six players made the list from the defensive side of the ball.

Linebackers are the lowest-earning position. Only Wynton McManis cracked the top 25, but he’s only 20th and doesn’t earn over $200,000.

Ranking The Highest-Paid Canadian Football League Players

Here is the entire list of the top 25 highest-paid CFL players of 2025 by salary. All amounts have been converted from CAD (Canadian dollars) to USD. The list was compiled using data from the CFL and 3downnation.

Updated: April 22, 2025

Rank	Player	Position	Team	Total Compensation
1	Nathan Rourke	Quarterback	B.C. Lions	$455,666
2	Chad Kelly	Quarterback	Toronto Argonauts	$449,000
3	Zach Collaros	Quarterback	Winnipeg Blue Bombers	$438,000
4	Vernon Adams Jr.	Quarterback	Calgary Stampeders	$339,450
5	Trevor Harris	Quarterback	Saskatchewan Roughriders	$299,781
6	Dru Brown	Quarterback	Ottawa Redblacks	$259,931
7	Bo Levi Mitchell	Quarterback	Hamilton Tiger-Cats	$236,374
8	Kenny Lawler	Wide Receiver	Hamilton Tiger-Cats	$202,356
T-9	Ryan Hunter	Offensive Lineman	Toronto Argonauts	$197,100
T-9	Robbie Smith	Defensive Lineman	Edmonton Elks	$197,100
T-11	Mathieu Betts	Defensive Lineman	B.C. Lions	$189,800
T-11	Drew Desjarlais	Offensive Lineman	Ottawa Redblacks	$189,800
13	Davis Alexander	Quarterback	Montreal Alouettes	$188,340
14	Tre Ford	Quarterback	Edmonton Elks	$187,610
15	Justin McInnis	Wide Receiver	B.C. Lions	$181,250
16	Brady Oliveira	Running Back	Winnipeg Blue Bombers	$175,200
17	Jake Ceresna	Defensive Lineman	Edmonton Elks	$171,550
T-18	Folarin Orimolade	Defensive Lineman	Calgary Stampeders	$167,900
T-18	Tyrell Ford	Defensive Back	Edmonton Elks	$167,900
20	Wynton McManis	Linebacker	Toronto Argonauts	$167,535
T-21	Mark Korte	Offensive Lineman	Edmonton Elks	$164,250
T-21	Justin Hardy	Wide Receiver	Ottawa Redblacks	$164,250
T-21	Nic Demski	Wide Receiver	Winnipeg Blue Bombers	$164,250
24	Tim White	Wide Receiver	Hamilton Tiger-Cats	$164,104
25	Eugene Lewis	Wide Receiver	Ottawa Redblacks	$162,790