Star receiver Kenny Lawler believes his decision to sign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats is different than when he left the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for a one-season foray in Edmonton.
Lawler was the highest-paid non-quarterback in 2022 with the Elks, earning $305,000. He made 58 receptions for 894 yards with eight touchdowns in 12 games. Edmonton finished 4-14, which was the worst record in the league that season.
“It’s a better move. When I was going to Edmonton, we all knew why I was going — it was what I had to do financially. But now my biggest thing is to win and I think we can win here. Everything that we have, it’s going to be a turnaround,” Lawler said.
The Ticats were 7-11 last year, last place in the East Division. Hamilton has not won a CFL championship since 1999 — the longest title drought in the three-down league.
“We’re going to be going to the playoffs, we’re going to bring that Grey Cup back — that’s really what I believe. My biggest thing is bringing the Grey Cup back in 2025. It’s about now, the future and what’s ahead,” Lawler said.
“I manifest things, I speak ’em into existence. I did that going into Edmonton, it was not really realistic, but here I really do believe it is. I’m going to continue to do so.”
The 30-year-old Lawler has won two Grey Cups, back-to-back with the Bombers in 2019 and 2021. He played in the last two CFL championship games with Winnipeg, losing to the Montreal Alouettes in 2023 and Toronto Argonauts this past November.
“Kenny Lawler’s story’s awesome. It’s one that I’ll lean on to have him redirect to the next young rookie that comes from the NFL and struggles to find his way early in the CFL. Football is a transformational game,” general manager Ted Goveia said.
“Daily competitiveness, work rate, catch radius — he’s grown a lot. Kenny’s route to success was not a straight line. I was there for part of that growth and lessons he learned along the way. Kenny’s made a few mistakes along the way, grown and changed from it.”
The six-foot-three, 197-pound pass catcher earned a CFL all-star nod in 2021 and he’s been named a West Division all-star twice. Through 62 regular season games, he’s recorded 256 receptions for 4,108 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Lawler joins Bo Levi Mitchell, who was the CFL all-star quarterback last season. The two-time CFL MOP posted single-season highs in completions (420), attempts (614), passing yards (5,451), touchdown passes (32) and interceptions (18).
“Bo Levi passed for a lot of yards. He thinks this offence can be the best in the CFL, I believe that too. Bo Levi’s back there dicing everybody up. Bo Levi’s a walking Hall of Famer,” Lawler said.
“Bo was very pleased with the addition of Kenny Lawler. Bo was on board with a lot of it, I do lean on the quarterback and veterans for building, it helps build buy-in and they deserve the right to participate in that part,” Goveia said.
The Tabbies’ newest target has seen the current receiver group from afar, singling out Tim White, Shemar Bridges and Kiondre Smith. Mitchell and Lawler have talked about the offence’s potential since the rangy target signed his two-year contract with Hamilton through the 2026 season, which made him the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback once again.
