Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver and 112th Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian Samuel Emilus has $285,000 reasons to smile this year.
That's how much the 28-year-old will earn from playing for the Roughriders during the 2026 CFL season. He signed a two-year contract extension on Christmas Eve, which also includes $290,000 in hard money compensation for the 2027 CFL season.
"What I'm going to say is, I'm definitely happy with my situation with the Roughriders. When you negotiate a new contract, you go off what you have done on the field, what you can do on the field, and the awards that you win," Emilus said on The SportsCage.
"When me and my agent sat down, we saw what the market was looking, and we came up with the numbers that were the number. I wouldn't say I took a discount, I think I got paid what I was worth, but if they feel that I was a discount, it is what it is. I'm happy with my contract."
The six-foot, 200-pound receiver produced 19 receptions for 208 yards in the 2025 West Final and CFL championship games combined. He recorded nine grabs for 100 yards in a 24-21 win over the B.C. Lions and registered 10 receptions for 108 yards in a 25-17 victory against the Montreal Alouettes to earn MVC honours.
"We won the biggest prize, but we're ready to chase even more. That's how greedy our team is, in order to be able to win multiple championships, you got to be greedy," Emilus said as Saskatchewan tries to go back-to-back for the first time in franchise history.
Offensive coordinator Marc Mueller called Emilus "the best player in the league" after the Green and White hoisted the Grey Cup and the confetti had fallen at Princess Auto Stadium. Despite becoming what's believed to be the highest-paid national pass catcher in the CFL's salary cap era and possibly in league history, No. 19 believes he's underrated by people outside Saskatchewan.
"I do feel sometimes people take me for granted in this league, that's how I feel, and some players on my team feel the same way. I use that as my advantage, I use that as a chip on my shoulder to go year in and year out and prove that I'm one of the best," Emilus said.
"I've always been a humble guy, I put my head down, work hard, and I know eventually I'm going to be at the top. That's exactly what happened in 2025, this is in the past now, I'm already getting ready for 2026 and prove it all over again."
Emilus has not had his day with the big silver trophy yet, but plans to use his time with it in his hometown, which happens to be Montreal. He has a spot picked out to eat poutine from the Grey Cup in La Belle province when it comes to Quebec.
"The Alouettes couldn't do it," Emilus said, "but I'll do it."
That could be the most uniquely Canadian way to eat poutine.
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