Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
One of my favourite parts about the CFL season is the twists and turns we could never have predicted.
It’s the reason live sports broadcast rights continue to be one of the hottest selling items in all of media as many other forms and venues slowly deteriorate in value. Sports – and especially the CFL – are the truest form of reality TV without the need for vaguely scripted drama or facilitated cheesiness.
This year that reality show has seen a Canadian jump to the top of the charts like a Taylor Swift single in most of the meaningful receiving categories as we start the second third of the season.
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Justin McInnis was highly thought of coming out of Arkansas State. I remember watching his game film during the lead up to the 2019 CFL Draft. He was a first rounder as expected with the Saskatchewan Roughriders taking McInnis before doubling down on the position with Brayden Lenius shortly afterwards in a selection show which saw stud Canadians Kaion Julien-Grant and Kurleigh Gittens Jr. also selected from the available crop of pass catchers. McInnis was the first of these three – and one of just two first round receivers – taken, and we’re now starting to see why.
The Pierrefonds, QC native appears to have suddenly come into his own, but football is the ultimate team game and it takes a village to raise a Canadian receiver to these heights. Here are my five biggest reasons why McInnis’ game has jumped to new heights in 2024!
PRIME TIME
McInnis is a tremendous example of why outstanding raw talent needs some extra time to develop. Professional football in any form is very rarely a proposition one can jump into with both feet, no experience and find immediate success. McInnis has gone through a rookie season, the pandemic affected calendars of 2020 and 2021, experienced the feeling of not being extended or re-signed by the team who cared enough to spend a first round pick on him and adapted to a new and different offence in BC.
He’s matured, seen more coverages, grown into his body and as he gets set to turn 28-years-old next week, his prime is currently activating. A place far too many National receivers don’t get the chance to discover due to lack of opportunity or burnout on special teams.
LIONS CULTURE
If you’re going to have a Canadian be first in CFL catches, yards, touchdowns and more you better have a team who really doesn’t care what passport you hold long as you are producing and can be trusted in every situation.
The Lions under Rick Campbell have proven time and time again at a variety of positions they are ready to change the ratio anywhere on the chess board they can. The pay off in this specific situation is seeing McInnis flourish to heights I’m sure not even BC could have expected when signing him in February 2023.
WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO PLAY WITH VA?
I mean c’mon, the dude is locked in like everyone born in the 90’s on the long overdue release of the *new again* NCAA Football ’25 video game. To say Adams Jr. is seeing the game at a higher level this season is an understatement. Every time he touches a CFL ball he seems to grow since joining the Lions and McInnis finding that same wavelength has changed both of their fortunes for the better.
LENGTH FOR DAYS!
While McInnis has all the necessary route running and smooth hand attributes, his catch radius and length is absolutely ridiculous. For some receivers that means being able to catch balls you really shouldn’t be able to get to. McInnis uses his slightly stretched out frame to create a massive advantage in ability to box out defenders and Vernon Adams Jr. is elite at putting the ball where only the receiver can get it.
CONTRACT YEAR
While the Lions enjoy the spoils of signing McInnis to a two year contract in 2023, the reality that looms in the business that is sport is that he will need to be re-upped with a bump in respect this off-season. That’s a heck of a lot of motivation for any player, regardless of what they’ll tell you. My expectation is McInnis is one of the Lions biggest priorities this December and is brought back with a handsome raise before Christmas 2024 arrives.
