Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
HAMILTON — Brandon Banks will be back in black and gold in 2018, after the Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced Friday the two sides have agreed to a new contract.
Banks was due to become a free agent on Feb. 13.
“Brandon has been a game changer on special teams and one of the premier playmakers in the Canadian Football League since his arrival in 2013,” said June Jones, head coach of the Tiger-Cats. “Last season, he also transformed into an explosive every-down receiver in our offence and we’re thrilled to have him back as a starter in 2018.”
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Banks’ extension comes the day after a new deal for quarterback Jeremiah Masoli (The Canadian Press)
Banks, 30, led the Canadian Football League after Labour Day last season in targets (87), receptions (59) and touchdown receptions (7), and was second in receiving yards (959). The former Most Outstanding Special Teams Player played in all 18 of Hamilton’s regular season games in 2017, posting career highs in receptions (67), receiving yards (1,011), yards per reception (15.1), receiving touchdowns (8) and rushing touchdowns (2). He also added 38 punt returns for 385 yards and one touchdown, and 34 kickoff returns for 624 yards.
Last season, the 5-foot-7, 150-pound native of Garner, N.C. also became just the eighth player in CFL history to record five consecutive 100-yard receiving games from Sept. 30 versus Toronto to Oct. 27 at Ottawa.
Banks, a two-time CFL All-Star (2014, 2015), was named a CFL Division All-Star for the fourth consecutive season in 2017, also earning Shaw Top Performer honours twice (Week 18 and Week 19) and Shaw Top Performer of the Month in October.
In 74 career CFL games over five seasons (2013-17) with the Tiger-Cats, Banks has 33 career touchdowns scoring five different ways: 18 receiving, four rushing, seven punt returns, one kickoff return, and three missed field goal returns. He has accumulated 172 receptions for 2,231 receiving yards, 48 carries for 282 rushing yards, 251 punt returns for 2,628 yards, 178 kickoff returns for 3,671 yards, and 10 missed field goal returns for 463 yards.
The Kansas State product ranks at or near the top among all-time Ticats franchise leaders in numerous categories, including first in kickoff return yards (3,671), missed field goal return yards (463) and missed field goal return touchdowns (3), second in punt return touchdowns (7), third in punt return yards (2,628), and fifth in combined yards (9,275).
