THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER -- Casey Printers' second tour of duty with the B.C. Lions is set to continue.

The quarterback and the CFL club have agreed to a two-year contract extension plus an option for a third which would replace his current deal, the team announced Sunday night.

"Casey has demonstrated that he's not only a gifted and exciting quarterback, but that he is capable of being one of our core leaders moving forward into next season," Lions head coach and GM Wally Buono said in a release.

Printers rejoined the Lions as a free agent in October and was activated for the final five games of the regular season.

"As excited as I was to return last season, I am even more ecstatic to be signing this extension and getting an opportunity to contribute to the Lions in any way I can," Printers said in the same release.

"We have an outstanding group of players on both offence and defence that will make us very difficult to play against in 2010."

Printers made his first start for B.C. since 2005 on Oct. 24 at Saskatchewan and ignited the Lions offence with a 19-of-30, 339-yard, two-touchdown performance.

Printers finished the season good on 43-of-68 passing attempts for 686 yards and three TD's.

Despite suffering a thumb injury in the final game of the regular season, Printers bounced back to start both East Division playoff games. He led the Lions to a 34-27 win over his former club, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in the East semifinal.

B.C. lost the East final to the Montreal Alouettes 58-18.