The Saskatchewan Roughriders didn’t waste any time locking down the man who helped guide them to their fifth Grey Cup championship as soon as he felt ready to return. Trevor Harris didn’t waste any time reminding Rider Nation he’s nowhere near finished.
The 39-year-old quarterback officially re-signed with the Green and White on Thursday, choosing to run it back in 2026 with a team and a province he says already feel like home.
“I feel like the city fits me and we’re three years in, but I already feel like I’m just a Saskatchewan person."
For Harris, this wasn’t a difficult decision, but it was a deliberate one. The veteran pivot talked about weighing the emotions of a championship high with the steady habits of a pro obsessed with improvement. He admitted he follows an off-season regimen that’s so intense it will likely end his career before the in-season stuff.
“I put a lot into this game. I review my film, pin down the things I need to work on, attack weaknesses, and strengthen strengths. My off-seasons are pretty exhausting.”
And yet, after hoisting the Grey Cup in November, after the parade, after the confetti finally settled, he was back in the gym by Wednesday.
“I thought I’d feel different, like, ‘OK, we did it.’ But I love to play ball. I love the locker room. I revere this game. And I’m curious what my ceiling is as a player.”
Then came the quote Rider Nation will cling to all winter:
“I’d be shocked if I’m not a better player next year than I am this year.”
Harris said he wouldn’t return if he thought he’d plateaued. He isn’t ready to believe age will slow him down, and he doesn’t want anyone else writing that story for him.
“Age is not going to retire me. As long as I play, I’ll be in my prime. God’s blessed me with a work ethic and a love for my teammates — I’m going to outwork everybody.”
While his brain worked through the football side, his heart got a push from home. Harris credited a long message from his wife, sent while driving home from the Grey Cup celebrations with running back A.J. Ouellette, with helping confirm the decision.
“She told me how happy she is in Regina, how much she loves being there, and how much it means to see me happy at work. When she said that, it felt like a no-brainer.”
The couple even wrestled with the emotional idea of going out on top.
“At the party after the Grey Cup, she said, ‘Honey, this is the way to go out. But how can you go out when you’re playing like this?”
One week later, the decision had marinated, and he knew he was coming back. Along the way, teammates were nudging him, too. Text messages started pouring in: 'Are you extending? What are you doing?'
“I don’t know how much recruiting you have to do,” Harris laughed. “Everybody wants to be here.”
He praised head coach Corey Mace, GM Jeremy O’Day, and CEO Craig Reynolds for turning Saskatchewan into a destination.
“With the leadership we have, people want to be here and be part of something great. I told Corey Mace early in our first season, ‘We’re going to build a statue of you one day.’ I think we’re in the early part of the golden era of the Corey Mace era.”
The Riders have never won back-to-back Grey Cups, Harris admits that the carrot is dangling right in front of him.
“It kind of drives you, being the first team to ever go back-to-back and give the fans another championship so they can talk their crap a little bit.”
But Harris insists it’s not just about history, it’s about daily work.
“What can we do today to become a better football team? Maybe it’s recruiting. Maybe it’s a workout. Maybe it’s film. We’re all in this together, the province, the team, the coaches.”
Harris, entering his 14th season in the CFL, said the negotiation process didn’t take long.
“It was two conversations with J.O. Money’s never driven me; I want to take care of my family.”
A one-year deal made the most sense, and Harris says if everyone wants to do it again after 2026, they’ll make it work. Harris insists his motivation hasn’t faded — it’s grown.
“I feel like I’m more viciously motivated now than ever before and that’s a good message to myself. I wasn’t chasing the title, I love this game.”
With Harris back, the Riders return the heartbeat of their championship offence and one of the fiercest competitors in the league.
And if he’s right — and he is a better player in 2026 — the rest of the CFL might want to brace itself.
