Veteran CFL receiver Ricky Collins Jr. has opted back into his Canadian Football League contract.
Collins Jr. opted out of his pact seeking NFL opportunities in late August. Under the agreement with the league and CFL Players’ Association following the cancelled 2020 season, athletes with expiring contracts in February 2022 and beyond had until January 31, 2021 to opt in for the schedule next year. Once the player returns to his team, medical benefits and Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy, if applicable, are reinstated.
The four-year CFL veteran is signed through February 2022. He posted single-season career highs with 78 receptions for 1,103 yards and three touchdowns in 2019. Greg Ellingson and Collins Jr. were Trevor Harris’ top two targets last year and helped the EE Football Team earn a crossover playoff spot.
During his senior year at Texas A&M University–Commerce, Collins Jr. hauled in 71 passes for 1,187 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Lions won the Lone Star Conference championship in 2014 while Collins Jr. was named a first-team all-star. He was in training camp with the Green Bay Packers in 2015 following his NCAA career, but was released with an injury settlement.
The 28-year-old has spent time with Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Hamilton, B.C., and Edmonton through his days in Canada. In 49 career CFL games, Collins Jr. has 186 catches for 2,434 yards and seven majors, including 13.1 average yards per reception. Edmonton has one of its best play-makers secured for the future when three-down football returns.
