THURSDAY CFL NOTEBOOK: TICATS BRINGING BACK BRANDON BANKS

HAMILTON – The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have re-signed 2019 CFL most outstanding player Brandon Banks.

The American wide receiver will return for his eighth season with the club in 2021.

Banks earned his fourth CFL all-star selection in 2019 after leading the CFL in receptions (112), yards (1,550), touchdowns (13) and targets (158) in 16 games.

The five-foot-seven, 150-pound Banks set a Ticats record in receptions while helping the club finish with a franchise-best 15-3 record.

In 101 career CFL games over seven seasons with the Tiger-Cats, Banks has 60 touchdowns, scoring five different ways: 42 receiving, five rushing, seven punt returns, one kickoff return, and five missed field goal returns. He has accumulated 378 receptions for 5,204 receiving yards, 63 carries for 343 rushing yards, 283 punt returns for 2,954 yards, 179 kickoff returns for 3,689 yards, and 16 missed field goal returns for 769 yards.

“Brandon’s body of work speaks for itself. He brings consistent production and excitement to the CFL, and has proven over the past three seasons that he is much more than the most dynamic returner,” Ticats coach Orlondo Steinauer said in a statement.

“He has grown tremendously as a person and honed his craft immensely as a wide receiver. Because of his competitive nature and desire to work daily in practice, we believe he will continue to be a premier weapon that demands great respect week in and week out.”

ARGOS RE-SIGN PAIR

The Toronto Argonauts have extended the contracts of kicker/punter Boris Bede and wide receiver Keyarris Garrett.

The Argos acquired Bede in a trade with Montreal in January.

Bede, who has played his entire five-year career for Montreal, was 31-for-35 on field goals last year.

Garrett most recently spent time with Los Angeles of the defunct XFL in 2019.

The Argos also announced the release of defensive back Tyler Sigler and the retirement of offensive lineman Dontavius Blair.

FIVE PLAYERS STAY IN EDMONTON

The Edmonton Football Team has extended the contracts of Canadian fullback Tanner Green, defensive back Scott Hutter, wide receiver Tevaun Smith, kicker Sean Whyte and American linebacker Vontae Diggs.

Diggs was the club’s rookie of the year in 2019, recording 84 tackles, along with two sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble.

Smith arrived in Edmonton in 2019 after three years in the NFL with Jacksonville, Oakland and Jacksonville. He caught 55 passes for 632 yards and two touchdowns in his first year in Edmonton.

Whyte will be entering his sixth season with Edmonton and 12th in the CFL. He has never had a field-goal percentage below 87 per cent in Edmonton.

Green and Hutter are Edmonton draft picks from 2018 and ’19, respectively.

(Canadian Press)