Corey Mace has lots of enthusiasm for his new quarterback, Trevor Harris. Under usual circumstances, this wouldn’t be newsworthy but things are hardly normal around Riderville these days.
Harris, who will turn 38 before the 2024 CFL season begins, is coming off a serious knee injury and the Roughriders are going through a house-cleaning that is sure to revamp the team in response to back-to-back disastrous 6-12 seasons.
Add in the fact that Saskatchewan is scheduled to pay Trevor Harris a roster bonus of $250,000 on February 1, according to 3DownNation insider Justin Dunk, if they are to keep him around for that long and it quickly becomes apparent that sticking with the same QB might not be such a sure thing.
But the folksy new head coach, who won general manager Jeremy O’Day over in the interview process with such a demeanour, appeared to stop any thought of moving on from the team’s current franchise quarterback.
“I FaceTimed Trevor yesterday”, Mace said on Friday. “We had a great conversation. I think the trajectory of the season for this organization changed a little bit when he got hurt. He’s been an outstanding quarterback in this league for many years and possesses all the skill sets to be a winner.”
Mace, a defensive tackle who spent nine years as an NFL and CFL player, has played and coached in three Grey Cup games against Trevor Harris including the 2018 championship game where the Stampeders beat the Redblacks with Harris as Ottawa’s starting quarterback. These two are intimately familiar with each other already.
“He creates some problems for you defensively and I know he understands how to manipulate that,” Mace said. “Having him, his leadership and experience within the locker room, I think will certainly not only galvanize the guys, but I think the relationship that Trevor and I build together… he’s going to be an extension of my voice on the field.”
O’Day wouldn’t comment on his quarterback’s contract situation while sitting with Mace at the table for what could be described as a joyful press conference that was standing-room-only in the basement of Mosaic Stadium. One has to think the GM could hardly contain his enthusiasm for what the new head coach he just hired was saying about the franchise quarterback O’Day hitched his wagon to in free agency last February.
“We had a great talk”, said Mace. “He’s an outstanding human being as I’m sure you all know, so I’m looking forward to building more of a relationship with Trevor and his crowd.”
