Defensive lineman Casey Sayles has agreed to terms with the B.C. Lions on a two-year contract following his release from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“Casey’s been a consistent pass rusher since he entered the Canadian Football League,” said general manager Ryan Rigmaiden in a statement. “He’s the type of player you have to game-plan for, or he’ll tear you up. Adding a talent like him to an already terrific defensive line is something we couldn’t pass on.”
The six-foot-three, 289-pound defender was named All-East Division in 2025 after recording 35 defensive tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble over 17 regular-season games. He was a full-time starter at defensive tackle.
The native of Omaha, Neb. first joined the Tiger-Cats as a free agent in 2023 and was named All-CFL for the first time in his career that same year. He made 87 defensive tackles and 14 sacks over the course of the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
The 30-year-old started his career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2021 when he helped the team win the Grey Cup. Over 83 career regular-season CFL games, Sayles has recorded 186 defensive tackles, 29 sacks, and three forced fumbles.
Sayles was a collegiate standout at Ohio University where he was named second-team All-Conference in 2016. He had NFL stints with the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers prior to coming north.
The B.C. Lions finished second in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record and beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final before losing the West Final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 16 regular-season starts, posting an 11-5 record. He was also named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.
The Lions ranked first in net offence, fourth in net defence, and sixth with a turnover differential of minus-four. James Butler rushed for 1,213 yards, Keon Hatcher led the CFL with 1,688 receiving yards, and Micah Awe led the league with 117 tackles. B.C. finished third in attendance with average crowds of 27,124, which was a 0.9 percent increase from the previous year.
