The BC Lions have been locking in their best-receiving target for multiple years. CFL All-Star wide receiver Keon Hatcher and the Lions agreed on a three-year contract extension to keep him with the team through the 2026 season. Hatcher was set to be a free agent before the deal.
“British Columbia is my football home. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help finish what we’ve started with this excellent group of players and coaches,” Hatcher said in a statement. “Last year didn’t end the way I wanted, but my recovery and rehab are on schedule and I’m very hopeful to be back on the field in 2024.”
Hatcher has been stellar for the Lions since joining the team in 2021. While he didn’t see as many targets in his first year, he has put up two straight seasons of big numbers with consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns.
In 2022, Hatcher caught 70 passes for 1,043 yards and five touchdowns. Last season saw career highs in every statistical category with 78 receptions for 1,226 yards and six touchdowns. He was named as a CFL West and CFL All-Star for the first time in 2023.
Before his CFL career blossomed, Hatcher was on six different NFL rosters from 2017 through 2020. He made one career catch for eight yards in the NFL. He spent five seasons with the Arkansas Razorbacks in college, finishing his career with 130 receptions for 1,866 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Hatcher has been one of the best receivers in the CFL over the last two years and shows no signs of slowing down at age 29. Extending Hatcher helps the team after they also gave an extension to fellow wide receiver Terry Williams earlier in the month. Four other receivers on the Lions roster are pending free agents come February.
More must-reads: