Edmonton Elks Release WR Steven Dunbar Jr., Avoid Roster Bonus
The Edmonton Elks announced the release of star wide receiver Steven Dunbar Jr.
Dunbar spent one season with the Elks, recording 39 receptions for 536 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. An upper-body injury in Week 14 against the Calgary Stampeders ended his season early. He would miss the last five games of the season being placed on the six-game injured list.
One aspect of the news to note is Dunbar was due for a roster bonus of $65,000 on Jan. 15, according to reports. Dunbar had originally signed a $200,000 contract last offseason, making him the third-highest-paid receiver in the CFL.
#Elks have released REC Steven Dunbar Jr. He was due a roster bonus of 65K by Jan 15 according to @TheJCAbbott Signed a 200K contract in free-agency last year which made him the 3rd highest paid receiver in the #CFL 536 receiving yards and 5 TD's in 13 games played. #CFL
— Dave Campbell (@Dave_CHED) January 3, 2024
He has been one of the top receivers in the CFL after a strong first two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Between 2021 and 2022, the 28-year-old receiver recorded 1,630 yards and 10 touchdowns in 29 games.
The Dallas Renegades of the XFL in 2020 had Dunbar on their roster before the season was canceled after five games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dunbar was injured before training camp, resulting in a season on injured reserve.
Dunbar was not drafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, but was able to find two homes in his first two seasons out of college. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers, spending most of the 2018 season on the practice squad before being active for one game. The Denver Broncos had Dunbar at training camp in 2019 before he was cut.
His college years were spent with the Houston Cougars, playing in 38 games. He recorded 180 receptions for 2,430 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career. Dunbar was selected on the All-American Athletic Conference Honorable Mention team as a senior in 2017.
This is the first release move from the Elks since the end of the season, when they cut six players from the practice roster.
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Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.