The BC Lions announced Monday pending free agent offensive guard Hunter Steward has signed a contract with the team for the 2019 season.

Steward has spent his entire five-year CFL career with the Lions and started 14 games on the offensive line for the team last year.

ʺHunter’s size and ability can make him one of our most dominant offensive linemen.ʺ GM Ed Hervey said in a statement. ʺHe has reached a point in his career that we’re going to be depending on him a great deal in both pass protection and running the ball. It all starts at the line of scrimmage and if we’re going to see improvement there then Hunter will be a big part of that development.ʺ

The Lions drafted Steward sixth-overall in 2013.