B.C. Lions sign one-time Buccaneers leading rusher Peyton Barber four years after last NFL snap

The BC Lions have signed veteran NFL running back Peyton Barber in hopes he can return north of the border.

The 31-year-old had a six-year NFL career after going undrafted in 2016 and is best remembered for his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His best season came in 2018, when he had 234 carries for 891 yards and five touchdowns as the Bucs' top running back.

Barber also spent time with the Washington Commanders and most recently played for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, where he carried the ball 55 times for 212 yards and two touchdowns. In 89 career NFL games, he rushed 700 times for 2,457 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 71 receptions for 428 yards and two scores.

“Peyton is a strong, physical running back built for Buck Pierce’s offense,” general manager Ryan Rigmaiden said in a statement. “We’re all looking forward to seeing what he can do when we get to Kamloops in May.”

The five-foot-11, 225-pound ball carrier played at Auburn University, where he appeared in 19 games over three seasons. In his final campaign, he rushed for 1,017 yards and 13 touchdowns on 238 carries and had 11 receptions for 112 yards before declaring early for the NFL Draft.

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.