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

Saskatchewan Roughriders’ pending free agent offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick would like to play three-down football until 40 years old and perhaps beyond.

Hardrick turns 36 on May 30, leading into the 2026 CFL season. His former teammate, Stanley Bryant, appears ready to play left tackle for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a 40-year-old next year.

“He usually tells me something, gives me hints here and there. That usually starts around January, so I’ll know something about him. Check back with me in January, I’ll have something for you,” Hardrick told 3DownNation during Grey Cup week.

“I do want to try to get to 40, if my wife and kids will let me. I want to play until they tell me not to show up anymore. Once it’s over, it’s over. You can go to the YMCA and play basketball; I don’t think I can go pass block anybody at the YMCA after, so I’m gonna keep playing until they tell me not.”

The six-foot-four, 315-pound right tackle had doubts about his career continuing after he suffered a season-ending quad injury in 2024. That setback happened against the B.C Lions in Week 6 and caused him to miss 13 regular-season games plus two playoff contests. Hardrick did not think about playing to 40 during his injury rehab process.

“No, I did not. I was thinking about, ‘Will I be able to pass set again?’ Because I couldn’t even bend my leg and get the range of motion. It was so much mental,” Hardrick said.

“Seeing Stanley doing it, somebody I look up to, and he’s shown me the way. The recipe’s not messed up, I’m gonna keep adding my own flavour to it, but he showed me the recipe.”

Hardrick has changed his offseason training routine to focus on pliability and longevity. He focuses on bending and maintaining strength. For example, if he’s doing barbell squats, it’s not four sets doing lower reps and heavy weight, instead three sets with 10 reps and medium to light weight.

“In the offseason, I used to be a meathead, ‘Let’s get as strong as I can.’ Probably show up to camp sore. Now it’s about the less sore I can be, but can I bend? Can I go ass to grass with a squat at any time of the day instead of being sore? It’s not being sore all the time. Can I bend when I want to? But still maintain it,” Hardrick said. 

“I do spin class. I have done yoga, but I do a lot of spin class, a lot of stretching, and I chase my kids a lot. I’ve got three kids who play sports, very active. My wife is very active; I work out with my wife. My wife leaves school, comes home, she knows I’m like a dog, as soon as [the kids] get out of school, I’m ready to run, I’m ready to play, even though I’ve worked out twice when they’re gone.”

Wife Samantha, son Jermarcus Jr., along with daughters Santana and Lyla, help Hardrick stay in shape. His family had a say in moving to Saskatchewan after a seven-year run in Winnipeg during the offseason leading into 2024. That will be the case again as the Batesville, Mississippi, native contemplates his decision as his contract with the Riders is set to expire in February.

“I would love to continue to stay in Sask, I’ve got nothing bad to say about Sask. I love O’Day, I love Mace, I love the team, I love the field in Regina, I love to go to Safeway or a Co-op, and they’re talking about what happened at practice,” Hardrick said.

“Something you dream about when you’re a kid. What you dream about when you’re a kid, you’re playing all these games, you’re watching TV, you’re picturing yourself there, and then one day it happens.”

Head coach Corey Mace and general manager Jeremy O’Day have been vocal in their praise for Hardrick. He earned $218,700 during the 2025 season in Riderville, which maintained his status as the highest-paid American offensive lineman in the three-down league for a second straight year. That said, his price tag has gone up after winning his first CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award in 2025.

“I didn’t know how much it meant to me until I played with Stanley. I went to his award show four different times and saw how much the league covered it. Stan is somebody I looked up to and wanted to be like, so when Stan started winning them, I’m like, ‘I want to be like that one day, I want to win one,’” Hardrick said. 

“The hard work I put in, but there’s guys in front of me to show me how to be a pro. I didn’t do it alone. Quarterback got the ball out, I got good teammates, running back chips. It’s a one-guy award, but I promise it’s not.”

No one player can win a Grey Cup, but if Saskatchewan wants to improve its chances for going back-to-back in 2026, re-signing Hardrick would provide a Yoshi-level boost.