Canadian Stavros Kasantonis became the first CFL defenseman to earn $200,000 in league history with three losses.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats paid Kasantonis a $50,000 signing bonus for a three-year contract extension. He has a base salary of $108,580, $20,000 in marketing, $15,420 in housing and travel allowance of $6,000, which equates to $200,000 in hard money. The 29-year-old also has $5,000 in All-Star incentives and awards, which could push his salary cap to $205,000 in 2026.
Potential compensation No. 30 increases to $210,000 in 2027 and $215,000 in 2028, with $205,000 and $210,000 in hard money each year, respectively. His agreement was negotiated by Montreal agent Fred Weinrauch. He was 10th highest paid defenseman in 2025 and made more than $60,000 compared to last year.
Kasantonis started 17 regular season games and one playoff game for the Ticats in 2025. He set single-season career highs with 69 tackles and six interceptions, both tied for first in the CFL, and also had three tackles on special teams. The five-foot-eight, 188-pound guard was named a league all-star for his efforts.
In a career 81 CFL games, Kasantonis recorded 200 defensive tackles, 29 special teams stops, 12 interceptions, three sacks, two forced fumbles and scored one defensive touchdown. He has developed into an elite playmaker in Hamilton's secondary.
The Bakersfield, California native was selected in the fourth round, 36th overall, in the 2020 CFL Draft by the Ticats and won the 2023 Most Outstanding Canadian Player Award.
Kasantonis was a three-time All-Canadian first-team selection out of the University of British Columbia. He won the Vanier Cup with the Thunderbirds in 2015 and received the Bruce Coulter Award as the most valuable defensive player in the Canadian National Championship game.
