Welcome to the SportsCage.com Saskatchewan Roughriders free agency project. We’re profiling each of the team’s pending free agents over November and December.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are playing the waiting game when it comes to the most important position on the field.
Quarterback Trevor Harris is taking some time to figure out if he wants to continue his Canadian Football Hall of Fame-calibre career next season. He’ll be 41 when the 2027 campaign begins. It’s a big decision, especially given the enormous commitment of trying to lead the Roughriders to a Grey Cup championship in game being hosted at home.
Provided Harris wants to return, there’s more to it than simply pulling the jersey out of the closet for him.
The Riders need to sign Harris to a new contract, and the financial landscape has been altered for successful starting quarterbacks after Chad Kelly’s megadeal. Harris won’t come close to the five-year term Kelly got given his age – it would almost certainly be a one-year pact – nor is he likely to sign for more than $1 million annually.
But it sure seems like Harris has the hammer here if he wants to use it.
The case for bringing him back
Harris led the CFL in passing with 5,370 yards all while missing two of his top three receivers, Kian Schaffer-Baker and Sam Emilus, for six and nine games, respectively. Just think of what he could have done with a full cadre of pass catchers.
This was one of the best seasons of his storied career, and arguably the best. He set a career high in passing yards and his 32 touchdowns were just one off the 33 majors he had way back in 2015. There are no signs of him slowing down.
Plus, it’s not like there’s a robust list of potential candidates for the Riders to nab to replace him.
The case against bringing him back
Really, it comes down to two things: age and money.
Though Harris was in fine form this season, Father Time is undefeated and he could regress – and regress drastically – at any time. The Riders are assuming some risk in this regard if he continues on as their No. 1 pivot.
The money aspect simply comes down to Harris’ compensation desires upon a return. The Riders might have to move on if they feel any salary demands are too hefty to properly build out the roster to remain competitive and be compliant with the salary cap.
The Riders will have to weigh all that, if necessary, against the value Harris has brought at the most critical spot on the field.
