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Riders asked John Murphy to take a pay cut: report

by
3Down Staff
December 5, 2018

There’s already been plenty of speculation that John Murphy’s sudden and unexpected departure as assistant vice-president of football operations and player personnel of the Saskatchewan Roughriders was due to the league’s new salary cap for management types.

Now The Athletic’s Kirk Penton – whose relationship with Murphy goes back to their Winnipeg days – is reporting that the Riders asked Murphy to take a 10 per cent and that he walked instead.

Just got an insider note about John Murphy’s departure from the #Roughriders: “It was due to his unwillingness to take a 10%+ pay cut under the newly imposed coaches’ cap. He agreed to a two-year deal and felt the Riders should live up to their obligation on that final year …

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— Kirk Penton (@PentonKirk) December 5, 2018

Murphy, along with fellow front office staffers Jeremy O’Day and Mike Davis, agreed to two-year extensions last December so Murphy was indeed set to be with the club for another season. Those extensions put the trio in lock step with boss Chris Jones, who is also signed through next year.

Given that the details of the new cap have yet to be officially announced by the league – including a reported amnesty clause for contracts of departed staffers – Penton raises another interesting question: does Murphy’s salary still count against the cap?

So the question is: Are the Riders paying that final year? Or was it forfeited with him ‘stepping down?’” #CFL #Roughriders

— Kirk Penton (@PentonKirk) December 5, 2018