The BC Lions have signed former Montreal Alouettes linebacker Darnell Sankey.
Sankey spent the last three seasons with the Montreal Alouettes, where he recorded 239 defensive tackles, four sacks, a pair of interceptions and five forced fumbles in 41 regular-season games. He won the Gray Cup in his first season with the Als and was an All-CFL East Division selection in 2024 and 2025, but was published last week amid changing ratios in Montreal.
“Darnell is a proven impact player in this league. He will improve our linebacker position and bring the grit and toughness we are looking for in our defense,” general manager Ryan Rigmaiden said in a statement.
Sankey previously played for the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders. In 74 career CFL games, he recorded 456 defensive tackles, eight sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and was named a three-time All-Star. He joined the Alouettes in late 2023 after winning the XFL Championship with the Arlington Renegades.
Before moving to Canada, Sankey played six regular-season games with the Indianapolis Colts in 2017 and had stints in Denver, Oakland, Kansas City, Baltimore and Detroit between 2016 and 2020.
He attended Sacramento State from 2012 to 2015, recording 330 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 10 pass knockdowns, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. As a senior, Sankey earned first-team All-Big Sky honors.
The BC Lions finished second in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record and beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Finals before losing to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Final. Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 16 regular-season starts, posting an 11-5 record. He was also named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player.
The Lions ranked first in net offense, fourth in net defense and sixth with a minus-four turnover margin. James Butler rushed for 1,213 yards, Keon Hatcher led the CFL with 1,688 receiving yards and Micah Awe led the league with 117 tackles. British Columbia ranked third in attendance with an average attendance of 27,124, up 0.9 percent from the previous year.
