Former Edmonton Elks pick Mathieu Betts re-signs with B.C. Lions for one more year
The two-time CFL outstanding defensive player agreed to a one-year extension, avoiding free agency ahead of the new season.
Mathieu Betts, a two-time CFL most outstanding defensive player, has signed a one-year contract extension with the B.C. Lions, keeping him off the free-agent market. The 31-year-old Montreal native was selected third overall by the Edmonton Elks in the 2019 CFL draft and spent two seasons there before joining the Lions as a free agent in 2022.
In 2023, Betts set a franchise record with 18 sacks, adding 44 defensive tackles, three tackles for loss and three forced fumbles, earning his first outstanding defensive player award. That performance led to a contract with the NFL's Detroit Lions, though he was released during training camp and returned to Vancouver, recording 13 tackles, two sacks and a pick-six interception return touchdown over the final seven games of 2024.
Last season Betts became the first Canadian to win the CFL's outstanding defensive player award twice, leading the league with 15 sacks and 42 defensive tackles. He also became the first player in more than three decades to record nine sacks over a three-game stretch, earning All-CFL and West Division All-CFL honours in both 2023 and 2025.
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