The Calgary Stampeders have re-signed American midfielder Markel Lee ahead of the Feb. 10 free agent market.
The 30-year-old was named Calgary's starting midfielder in 2025 but was limited to just six games due to injury. During that time, he collected 26 defensive tackles, including two tackles for loss, and added a pass knockdown.
Lee originally joined the Stampeders at the end of the 2024 season and appeared in three games, making five defensive tackles and three special teams tackles.
The Wake Forest product played four seasons in the NFL and appeared in 45 games for the Las Vegas Raiders, making 115 tackles. He also spent time with the Buffalo Bills and played one season with the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League, where he recorded 51 tackles in 10 games.
In college, the six-foot-three, 234-pound guard played 48 games over four seasons for the Demon Deacons and earned first-team All-ACC honors as a senior. He started 37 of 48 career games at Wake Forest, racking up 291 tackles and 14.5 sacks.
The Calgary Stampeders finished third in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record, but lost in the Western semi-finals to the BC Lions. Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 4,247 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 17 regular season starts, posting an 11-6 record.
The Stampeders ranked fourth in net offense, seventh in net defense and second with a plus-nine turnover margin. Dedrick Mills won the CFL title with 1,409 yards, while the team's leading receiver was Dominic Rhymes with 886 yards and the leading tackler was Jacob Roberts with 102 tackles. Calgary ranked fifth in attendance with an average attendance of 22,295, up 3.5 per cent from the previous year.
