Betts signs NFL contract with Detroit
The Detroit Lions signed Mathieu Betts, the CFL's reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player, the team announced Tuesday.
The CFL All-Star defensive lineman recorded 18 sacks with the BC Lions during the 2023 campaign to break the league's single-season sack record by a Canadian.
Betts reportedly worked out for the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, and Detroit in December.
The Edmonton Elks selected Betts with the third overall pick in the 2019 CFL Draft. The Laval product entered the league as one of the most accomplished prospects in U Sports history, winning the J.P. Metras Trophy (awarded to the best down lineman in U Sports) from 2016-18.
Betts signed with the Chicago Bears after being unselected in the 2019 NFL Draft but was released at the end of training camp. The defensive standout spent two seasons playing for the Elks before signing with BC as a free agent in 2022.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound pass-rusher has 81 tackles, 27 sacks, and five forced fumbles in 55 CFL games.
Detroit aims to bolster a pass-rushing arsenal that features former first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston.