January 4, 2017

Report: Adam Bighill lands 3-year NFL deal

Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca

VANCOUVER — It appears Adam Bighill will not be returning to the BC Lions this off-season.

A month after being granted his release to pursue NFL opportunities, Bighill has landed a deal south of the border with the New Orleans Saints, according to TSN‘s Farhan Lalji.

The futures contract is reportedly a three-year deal and includes a signing bonus:

Bighill was allowed a month and a half window to land with an NFL team after being released by the Lions on Dec. 14. If he didn’t sign somewhere by Jan. 27th, the Lions would retain his rights through 2017.

While Team 100 won’t be reunited in 2017, one half of the dynamic duo will return for the upcoming season after Solomon Elimimian signed an extension on Dec. 21.

Still, the loss of Bighill, a veteran leader on the Lions’ defence, is a major one for Head Coach and General Manager Wally Buono’s club.

In six seasons with BC, the 28-year-old has been dominant on a Lions defence that’s ranked among the league’s best almost annually. In 99 career CFL games, Bighill has racked up 489 defensive tackles, 33 sacks, eight interceptions and eight forced fumbles.