He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders as a street free agent in 2008 and won two Grey Cup championships over his ten-year tenure with the club (in 2008 and 2014).

Following a successful rookie year in the CFL, Hughes joined the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League on January 27, 2009.

Hughes led the CFL in sacks for the 2013 season with 18, one shy of the franchise record of 19 set by Harold Hallman in 1986.

[3] Hughes had another productive season in 2017 accumulating 11 quarterback sacks, earning his fourth CFL All-Star award in the process.

Hughes had an outstanding season with the Riders in 2019, and was named a CFL Top Performer for the months of July and September.

[8] He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season and, as a pending 2021 free agent, he was released by the Roughriders on February 3, 2021.