Former standout Cal wide receiver Kenny Lawler begins his seventh Canadian Football League season on Thursday, and he made headlines this past week when he signed a three-year, $1 million contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.
It’s not NFL money, but it was big news because it is the largest contract for a receiver in CFL history — excluding the “personal services” deal Rocket Ismail signed with Toronto Argonauts in 1991.
The 31-year-old Lawler is probably the best wide receiver in the CFL, having been named all-CFL twice and coming off one of his best seasons in 2025, when he had 86 receptions for 1,443 yards and 14 touchdowns.
His salary breaks down to $300,000 this season, $330,00 next season and $370,000 in 2028.
So how does that compare with what a few other Cal alumni make in other pro football leagues.
First of all, we should note that Lawler’s $1 million is based on Canadian dollars, and is equal to about $724,000 in American dollars based on exchange rate. It’s still a nice hunk of change.
Not surprisingly, Lawler’s take does not compare with what NFL players make, and that includes several former Cal stars. (Salaries based on reporting by Spotrac.)
Jared Goff
Goff is the most interesting comparison because he and Lawler were Cal teammates from 2013 through 2015, and Lawler’s 27 receiving touchdowns at Cal were thrown by Goff.
But Goff’s NFL salary with the Lions is not comparable to Lawler’s because Goff is scheduled to make $37.6 million this season and $62.6 million in 2027 at the age of 33. His 2026 salary is 125 times what Lawler will make this season.
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers, who will turn 43 in December, is making a mere $22.5 million to quarterback the Steelers in 2026, which he says will be his final season. That’s a long way from the his average salary of more than $50 million just a few years ago. But it’s still a lot more than what Lawler will make.
Keenan Allen
Quarterbacks’ salaries are always higher than players at other positions, so the salary of wide receiver Keenan Allen may be a better comparison to Lawler’s deal.
Allen is a free agent at the moment, but he has not retired so he will probably agree to an incentive-laden contract with some team that will not be too much less than the $5.2 million he was paid last year by the Chargers. That’s down from the $20 million he made in past seasons, but he is coming off a solid 2025 season, when he had 81 receptions for 777 yards at the age of 33.
Camryn Bynum
Bynum has been an NFL starting safety for the past four seasons, and he signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Colts prior to last season. He is scheduled to make $15 million in 2026, and his salary will rise to $19 million in 2029. Not bad for a guy who has yet to be named to a Pro Bowl.
Jake Tonges
Nobody thought tight end Jake Tonges was going to make it in the NFL. He was a walk-on at Cal before proving himself in Berkeley, and after going undrafted he bounced around on NFL practice squads before finding a home with the 49ers. He is scheduled to make $2 million in 2026 and $2.6 million in 2027 with the Niners.
Bryan Anger
Anger, a 38-year-old punter, is scheduled to make $4.1 million with the Cowboys in 2026, which will be his 15th NFL season.
Chandler Rogers
Rogers was the backup to Fernando Mendoza in his one season at Cal in 2024, but he has made a splash in the United Football League this spring.
He replaced the Louisville Kings’ opening-game starter midway through the season and now has the Kings on the verge of a playoff spot in the eight-team league.
Salaries of UFL players are not made public, but as a quarterback, Rogers presumably makes more than the $64,000 UFL minimum that was reported by ESPN. The top UFL quarterbacks reportedly earn well into six figures; however, Rogers was signed as a backup, so he’s probably making less than Lawler.
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