Hamilton Tiger-Cats superstar Brandon Banks says he will retire from the CFL if the league’s upcoming season is cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a series of tweets Monday morning, Banks says he will “go play somewhere else” if a second consecutive season in the CFL is wiped out — saying, “It ain’t bout the money, it’s about playing football.”
His comments come just days after a source “familiar with the league at the executive level” told the Edmonton Sun that a season in 2021 may not be “plausible” due to coronavirus case numbers, new variants and the slow pace of vaccinations.
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The league’s Most Outstanding Player in 2019 signed a one-year contract with the Ticats just before the new year.
Commissioner Randy Ambrosie wrote a letter to fans last month, saying they “plan to play CFL football this year, and lots of it.”
The 2020 season was scrapped after the CFL failed in its request to secure government funding or follow through on a proposed shortened season using a hub city format.
The upcoming season is scheduled to kick off June 10 when the Tiger-Cats are slated to visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.