In a year full of change, one thing has stayed the same for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and should continue that way for the foreseeable future: Darian Durant under centre.
It didn’t always feel this way in Riderville. Earlier this year, there was a sense that change was in the air, after all, Chris Jones had already moved on from fan favourites like Weston Dressler and John Chick. Jones was looking to put his stamp on the team, he wanted his guys, and as good as he’s been, Durant wasn’t one of Jones’ guys. At least, that’s what some of us thought. 3DownNation’s Darrell Davis thought out loud about Durant’s future in July. Things got even more interesting when Ricky Ray suffered another injury in Toronto, could the Riders be interested in getting a ransom for their biggest chip? The Argos went for Drew Willy instead.
A year ago, the idea of Durant ever leaving Saskatchewan seemed preposterous. Then the door appeared to open a crack early in the new year when the Riders and Durant agreed on a new re-worked one year contract. Only one year? Perhaps both Jones and Durant wanted to see how it would go before committing longer term. The freed up cap space was good but it was still kind of awkward.
Now, it feels inevitable that both sides will come to an agreement that will see the man known as “Doubles” stay with the only CFL team he’s ever known for next season and likely beyond. A couple of weeks ago, Jones told reporters that talks would begin soon with Durant. That’s when the mood started to change.
Right now, keeping Durant is definitely the best move for the franchise. Sure, Durant isn’t having the best season of his career. He’s only passed for 2,650 yards in a year where the league has gone pass happy with the likes of Bo Levi Mitchell and Mike Reilly putting up huge numbers. His passing hasn’t been quite as crisp as we’ve seen in the past at times. That said, it’s been a year and a half since Durant has played this many games, there was going to be some bumps in the road in his return. Even then, the South Carolina native has battled and done everything he can to help the team. Should Durant get through the rest of this season relatively healthy, there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be better next season.
Numbers aren’t everything either, Durant has proven to still have the heart of a champion, even if his team has won just two games. We’ve seen Durant put his body on the line for the team numerous times. He currently sits second on the team in rushing (he led the team before Curtis Steele returned last week) and while that’s not ideal, it shows Durant will do whatever it takes to help the team. We’ve even seen Durant throw a bone crushing tackle forcing a fumble against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after throwing an interception. When you’re trying to build a culture, Durant’s desire is something that should be held up as an example to all the young players that will come through Saskatchewan.
That doesn’t mean that Jones shouldn’t also be looking for the Riders next franchise quarterback. Durant is 34-years-old and as the years add up in this game, a player can seemingly lose that step or two needed to be a professional out of no where. It would also be preferable for Jones to find that next pivot before Durant’s time is up so there’s time for the newcomer to learn from the veteran.
Considering everything Durant has meant to the franchise over his career, frankly it would have been weird if he wasn’t with the team as a new chapter opens at the new Mosaic Stadium. The sooner that can be made official, the better. Durant deserves it, the team deserves it and most importantly, so do the fans who really deserve a feel good story.
