The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have released veteran defensive lineman Casey Sayles. He was under contract for the 2026 season.
The 30-year-old was named All-East Division in 2025 after recording 35 defensive tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble over 17 regular-season games. He was a full-time starter at defensive tackle.
The native of Omaha, Neb. first joined the Tiger-Cats as a free agent in 2023 and was named All-CFL for the first time in his career that same year. He made 87 defensive tackles and 14 sacks over the course of the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
The six-foot-three, 289-pound defender started his career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2021 when he helped the team win the Grey Cup. Over 83 career regular-season CFL games, Sayles has recorded 186 defensive tackles, 29 sacks, and three forced fumbles.
Sayles was a collegiate standout at Ohio University where he was named second-team All-Conference in 2016. He had NFL stints with the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers prior to coming north.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished first in the East Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record, though the team lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Bo Levi Mitchell led the CFL with 5,296 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions after starting all 18 regular-season games, earning the East Division’s nomination for Most Outstanding Player.
The Tiger-Cats ranked third in net offence, eighth in net defence, and first with a turnover differential of plus-ten. The club’s leading rusher was Greg Bell with 1,038 yards, leading receiver was Kenny Lawler with 1,443 yards, and leading tackler was Stavros Katsantonis with 69 tackles. Hamilton ranked fourth in attendance with average crowds of 22,858, which was a 3.9 percent increase from the previous year.
