As in the NFL, quarterbacks have the highest salaries in the CFL.
Each of the league’s gunslingers is expected to have the most notable impact on their team’s CFL betting lines at the BetMGM sportsbook, one of the primary reasons they earn the most.
Related: How Much Do CFL Players Make?
How Much Do CFL Quarterbacks Earn?
| Ranking | Player | Salary | Team |
| 1 | Nathan Rourke | $684,700 | BC Lions |
| 2 | Chad Kelly | $625,000 | Toronto Argonauts |
| 3 | Zach Collaros | $550,000 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 4 | Vernon Adams Jr. | $500,000 | Calgary Stampeders |
| 5 | Bo Levi Mitchell | $485,300 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 6 | Trevor Harris | $455,300 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 7 | Davis Alexander | $404,000 | Montreal Alouettes |
| 8 | Cody Fajardo | $395,500 | Edmonton Elks |
| 9 | Dru Brown | $321,000 | Ottawa Redblacks |
1. Nathan Rourke (BC Lions): $684,700
Despite not winning a Grey Cup yet, Nathan Rourke is the highest-paid CFL player. Twice named the Most Outstanding Canadian and capturing the George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award in 2025, Rourke started his career with the BC Lions in 2021.
Rourke had short stints in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons. He played more than 13 games in just one of his first four CFL seasons.
2. Chad Kelly (Toronto Argonauts): $625,000
While Chad Kelly has won two Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts, he wasn’t the go-to guy in every scenario. Kelly’s CFL career has thus far resembled a roller coaster, with more ups and downs than planes on a busy airport runway.
He won the George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award in 2022, but was suspended for nine games in 2024 for violating the league’s gender-based violence policy.
3. Zach Collaros (Winnipeg Blue Bombers): $550,000
Here is a man deserving of his high salary. Zach Collaros has won basically every honour available, with three Grey Cups, two Most Outstanding Player Awards, and a Grey Cup Most Valuable Player (2021).
4. Vernon Adams Jr. (Calgary Stampeders): $500,000
Vernon Adams Jr. entered the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes in 2016, and he’s still searching for his first Grey Cup.
He played six seasons in Montreal, two in British Columbia with the Lions, and is in his second season with the Calgary Stampeders.
5. Bo Levi Mitchell (Hamilton Tiger-Cats): $485,300
Bo Levi Mitchell won two Grey Cups with the Stampeders, securing MVP in both finals (2014 and 2018).
He also won the Most Outstanding Player Award twice and led the league in passing touchdowns three times. His career in the CFL started in 2012.
6. Trevor Harris (Saskatchewan Roughriders): $455,300
Trevor Harris’ career began in 2012 with the Argonauts, where he spent four seasons before signing with the Ottawa Redblacks. He was in Ottawa for three seasons.
Harris won the Grey Cup three times, only one of which was as a starter. That came in 2025, when he was named the 112th Grey Cup Most Valuable Player for his otherworldly performance for the Saskatchewan Roughriders against the Alouettes.
Before landing in Saskatchewan in 2023, Harris had a season with Montreal and, before that, two seasons with the Edmonton Elks.
7. Davis Alexander (Montreal Alouettes): $404,000
Davis Alexander, 27, set a CFL record by winning his first 13 starts. He entered the league in 2022 and has played all five campaigns, including the ongoing 2026 season, with the Alouettes.
He led Montreal to the 2025 Grey Cup, but lost 25-17 to the Roughriders.
8. Cody Fajardo (Edmonton Elks): $395,500
Cody Fajardo, now playing for the Elks, enjoyed the best moment of his career with the Alouettes in 2023, winning Grey Cup MVP.
The Alouettes beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24, and Fajardo finished with 290 passing yards on 21 of 26 attempts, tossing three TD passes.
His career started in 2016 with the Argonauts, and he has played for five teams.
9. Dru Brown (Winnipeg Blue Bombers): $321,000
Dru Brown entered the CFL with the Blue Bombers in 2021. He played just two games that season, which he followed up with 18 games in 2022 and 2023.
After playing in Ottawa with the Redblacks for two seasons, Brown returned to Winnipeg for the 2026 campaign.
He won a Grey Cup in 2021 as part of the Blue Bombers’ practice roster.
CFL Odds at BetMGM Canada
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