Player turnover is at an all-time high in the CFL but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some well-tenured players on teams across the country.
Below we’ve made a list of the longest-serving player(s) on each team along with the year in which they officially joined the team.
B.C. Lions — REC Bryan Burnham & DB T.J. Lee (2014)
Both future all-stars signed with the Lions on May 22, 2014, which has to go down as one of the best days in the recent history of the club.
Burnham has since made 435 receptions for 6,616 yards and 38 touchdowns en route to being named a West Division all-star five times. Lee has consistently been one of the league’s best boundary halfbacks, recording 384 defensive tackles, 26 special teams tackles, 20 interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and four sacks over 94 career games.
Calgary Stampeders — K Rene Paredes (2011)
The Stampeders added the Concordia product to their active roster in July 2011 after he was released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The five-time West Division all-star has since connected on 87.3 percent of his career field goal attempts and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2013.
Edmonton Elks — OL David Beard (2015)
The native of Sherwood Park, Alta. was a second-round pick out of the University of Alberta in the 2015 CFL Draft and has since developed into one of the league’s best centres. He was a backup for the first two years of his career but has started 49 of a possible 50 games since 2018.
Saskatchewan Roughriders — OL Dan Clark (2012)
The Regina native has had ties to his hometown team since he was claimed as a territorial exemption in 2009, though he didn’t dress for his first game until 2012. Clark has played a total of 125 games, won a Grey Cup in 2013, and was named a CFL all-star for the first time in 2019.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers — DL Jake Thomas (2012)
The New Brunswick native was a fourth-round pick out of Acadia University in the 2012 CFL Draft and has since dressed for 125 career games, making 132 total tackles, 22 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one interception. Thomas made two sacks in the postseason this past year to help Winnipeg capture its second of back-to-back Grey Cup titles.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats — LB Simoni Lawrence (2014)
The five-time East Division all-star was acquired via trade from the Edmonton Elks in February 2013 and rejoined the Ticats in May 2014 following a brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings. He has made 591 defensive tackles, 30 sacks, 14 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles with Hamilton and is the club’s all-time leading tackler.
Toronto Argonauts — LS Jake Reinhart (2014)
The Guelph native went unselected in the 2012 CFL Draft and was in training camp with the Argos in 2013 before making the final roster the following year. He has since made 33 special teams tackles over 110 career CFL games, winning a Grey Cup in 2017.
Ottawa Redblacks — DL Nigel Romick & DB Antoine Pruneau (2014)
Romick was selected in the third-round of the 2014 CFL Draft has recorded 92 special teams tackles, 14 defensive tackles, and one sack over 91 career games. Pruneau was a first-round pick in that same draft and has dressed for 104 games, making 356 defensive tackles, 61 special teams tackles, ten interceptions, four sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Romick technically signed his rookie contract two days before Pruneau, but we think it’s fair to include both players here.
Montreal Alouettes — OL Kristian Matte (2010)
The 36-year-old was a first-round pick in the 2010 CFL Draft, though he joined the Als late after a brief stint with the Houston Texans. He has dressed for 149 career games and is playing arguably the best football of his career, earning East Division all-star selections in 2019 and 2021.
