![](https://d2ksr9467jthww.cloudfront.net/2024013022014/65b972bf023d1608288983dfjpeg.jpg)
Future of Mathieu Betts major focus as B.C. Lions lay out free agency plans
SURREY, B.C. — The B.C. Lions have signed several returning players, but as CFL free agency looms, there’s one name that remains conspicuously absent from that list: Mathieu Betts.
Betts, 28, had a career-year in 2023 recording a CFL-high 18 sacks, which was also the most ever by a Canadian.
The six-foot-three 250-pound defensive lineman was named the league’s defensive player of the year and also recorded a career-best 44 tackles (three for a loss), three fumbles and a blocked punt.
But the breakout season came with a downside as negotiations for a new contract between the player and the team have proven to be challenging