The Tiger-Cats have announced that they have signed National offensive lineman David Beard to a contract extension. The Tiger-Cats acquired Beard during the 2022 season in a trade with the Edmonton Elks. In exchange for Beard, Hamilton sent National offensive lineman Jesse Gibbon, and a 2nd round 2023 CFL Draft pick to Edmonton.

During the 2022 season, Beard played in 17 games, including ten games with the Edmonton Elks and seven with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He started at centre in six of the seven games Beard played for the Tiger-Cats. Centre was a high-need position for the Tiger-Cats due to multiple injury situations to Alex Fontana. Recently, the Tiger-Cats released Fontana, which may indicate that Beard will be Hamilton’s center heading into the 2023 season.

Beard is a 6’5″, 320-pound native of Sherwood Park, Alberta. He is a seven-year veteran of the CFL; from 2015 until 2022, he spent six seasons with Edmonton and the second half of the 2022 season with the Tiger-Cats. Throughout those seven seasons, Beard has played in 101 games, and in 2019 he was named the Elks Most Outstanding Lineman.

Follow me on Twitter: @AaronSauter7