Vernon Adams Jr. knows there’s a price if the B.C. Lions are going to win a Grey Cup at home in 2024 and he’s willing to pay it out of his own pocket.

The 31-year-old quarterback inked a contract extension with the Lions on Wednesday, keeping him with the team through 2026. In so doing, he will take home just $393,000 in hard money against the cap next season — well below market value for a player who led the CFL in passing last year.

That was a conscious choice by Adams, who won’t be caught pinching pennies in pursuit of a championship.

“When I first got here in 2022, I said, man, this locker room, this team, these coaches, this is a Grey Cup team. We came up short the last two years, but I know we still have it,” Adams told the media on Thursday.

“I knew for us to get the players — Hollins, Hatch, Cottoy, Sione (Teuhema), some of these guys, Ben (Hladik), Woods, all these guys — I knew I had to take less. I couldn’t be in the top three (highest-paid) area, which I felt like I am as a player. I think the team is more important and that’s why I took less this year.”

Adams took home $336,000 last year, his first as the team’s starter, but far out-played the contract. He completed 68.2 percent of his passes for 4,769 yards, 31 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, finishing top in the CFL with 10 games of over 300 yards passing.

The Pasadena, Cal. native was due a big pay raise this year but opted to take less, instead kicking it down the road. He’ll now earn $500,000 in hard money in 2025 and $505,000 in 2026, with half of his final year salary fully guaranteed. That provides the Lions with additional flexibility heading into 2024.

“We want him aligned with what quarterbacks should make in this league, but also I think he sees the big picture,” head coach Rick Campbell told reporters. “He wants to win and make sure that he’s paid fairly and at the same time, he’s all in on the B.C. Lions winning.”

“When you call him a selfless guy, I think he does that in all areas. How he behaves in this building, how he is in the community, all those things. He’s a good leader for our team, that’s for sure.”

The Lions have been one of the top teams in the CFL over the past two years, in no small part due to Adams. Acquired via trade from Montreal midway through the 2022 season, he stepped in immediately for an injured Nathan Rourke and helped the team to maintain their second seed in the playoff race. Handed the full-time role the following season, he ensured that B.C. experienced no substantial drop-off after the loss of their generational Canadian pivot.