Night before Grey Cup, Trevor Harris asked himself if CFL championship game would be his last during incognito walk

Photo: Reuben Polansky/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

From afar during the lead-up to the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, it did not seem Trevor Harris intended the game to be the last of his 13-year CFL career. However, he recently admitted to 3DownNation that the thought entered his mind once on Saturday night.

“Day four, after we had our walkthrough finished, I was like, ‘I need to go for a walk.’ I was bent [sic] up with emotion of gratitude of being able to be in the position we were. I put on a neutral-coloured hoodie as best I could, put my hood over my head, and I walked around — I sobbed, I cried. It was gratitude for where I’ve been, the journey that has taken me to this moment,” Harris said.

“I honestly didn’t know. I was like, ‘Man, am I this way because I think this is it?’ It was a question I asked myself on the walk, but I didn’t think anything more of it after that. I played the game and I was more curious after the game, ‘I wonder how I’m gonna feel if I’m gonna be like, “OK, I did it, we did it!” Now people can stop asking me if I can win a big game,’ which I think has been unfair throughout my career, if you want my honest opinion.”

That question was answered very quickly. By Tuesday night — approximately 48 hours after winning his first Grey Cup as a starting quarterback — Harris was at Mosaic Stadium in the gym working out with A.J. Ouellette. He knew his drive and motivation was still there to continue playing. The soon-to-be 40-year-old signed a one-year contract extension in December. It’s a fair deal financially for both sides and some might say a below market rate for a Grey Cup MVP QB.

“We should be careful saying we’ve taken way less because quarterbacks are paid much more than most of the other positions. I’m thankful for what I’m getting paid, but I know that I didn’t need to be paid in the top-three, four — I don’t even think I’m the top-five paid. I think that I’d be in the back half, which is fine with me. I’m doing just fine, my family’s just fine,” Harris said.

The six-foot-three, 212-pound passer ranks sixth among starting quarterbacks in the CFL when it comes to financial compensation for the 2026 regular season. B.C.’s Nathan Rourke, Toronto’s Chad Kelly, Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros, Calgary’s Vernon Adams Jr., and Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell will earn more than Harris, which seems like a great value deal for general manager Jeremy O’Day and the Roughriders as the team tries to win back-to-back Grey Cups.

“I wanted to put us in a position to be able to make a run at it. If I can be a part of us bringing in one or two more free agents, if I free up an extra 50 or 75 [grand] or whatever it is, if I can provide that, then why wouldn’t I? It’s actually being selfish by taking less, if you want my honest opinion, because if I take less, then we can sign more people. Maybe I can play longer. Maybe we have some more success,” Harris said.

“I think that there’s a different way of looking at it. Obviously, it’s being selfish and maybe I could have taken more money, but the way I look at it, it’s actually making us richer by getting us more teammates, better people, and allowing the GM to have a little bit more freedom.”

Harris knows players will be cut if they’re not worth what they’re paid in professional football, which puts every athlete in the sport on a year-to-year basis. He still loves the grind and enjoys finding ways to grow and learn to be one percent better each day for his teammates. That mindset has allowed No. 7 to play as long as he has and could bring him even more success in the future.

“I didn’t think a quarterback could work out this hard,” Ouellette said. “With how he’s looking this year, he’s gained weight and more muscle — dude looks jacked. I’m worried I’m gonna be the small guy in the backfield now.”

After driving back home from Regina to Ohio, Harris let his throwing shoulder rest and regenerate for three to four weeks. Last year, he threw a deep ball to Joe Robustelli in Week 5 and took a shot under his arm, which caused him to be hurt but not injured. That issue lingered for the rest of 2025, limiting his ability to push the ball down field past approximately 50 to 55 yards. According to the franchise QB, it’s fully healed and there should be more “pop” on his footballs in 2026.

“I’m able to push the ball way further than I thought I would through training, it’s been great. I feel like I’ve got the ability to do the things I need to do,” Harris said.

“I feel like I’ve improved in terms of my mobility, ability to run, change directions, move in the pocket and do the things I need to do there.”

Harris won’t be a scrambling QB like Nathan Rourke or Vernon Adams Jr. but T-Mobile should be able to run, if needed, after going through his fourth or fifth read. He has worked on his mobility but more importantly for his playing style, focused on pushing his mental preparation forward with performance coach Dr. Chantale Lussier.

“The biggest thing for us as athletes, as soon as you stop ascending mentally, you are officially a declining asset. I’m not gonna go out there and have Josh Allen’s arm strength, no matter what I do. I‘m not gonna go out there and run around like V.A. or Nathan or Davis [Alexander] or anything like that, but I can get better and sharper mentally,” Harris said.

That’s a major advantage which could help Saskatchewan’s franchise man compete for an unprecedented second Grey Cup in a row.