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The Saskatchewan Roughriders traded the taste of champagne and beer for the bitter taste of defeat. The B.C. Lions, led by quarterback Nathan Rourke, outlasted the Riders 33-26 on Saturday in Vancouver, ending Saskatchewan’s season.
The postgame focus quickly turned to the future of Riders quarterback Trevor Harris. The 40-year-old is a free agent and could opt to retire.
On Sunday, as his teammates were cleaning out their lockers, Harris described his emotional state.
“I didn’t have any tears or anything like that last night. And I got in my car this morning to drive in today and I was like, oh, I just lost it, man,” Harris said.
“It’s been a tough morning for me emotionally. I love this place. And I wanted to deliver, and to deliver a championship, and we didn’t. And so I’ll take a step back, as I do every year.”
A potential key factor for Harris and the front office is the club hosting next year’s Grey Cup game. Could Harris decide to hang it up with the prospect of playing in a home Grey Cup lurking?
He said that carrot will not be the reason he comes back.
“If I am back, that means that I’m all-in. Like I said last year, I won’t come back unless I know I can be a tier-one quarterback.”
Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris (7) passes during the first half of a CFL football game against the B.C. Lions in Vancouver, on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Harris was selected as the team’s Most Outstanding player and led the CFL in passing yards at 5,370, a career best. He did not miss a game outside of rest considerations.
“There’s never going to be a desire to not play for me.… I put a lot into this, a lot more hours than people may know. And I know that might sound like I’m, you know, patting myself on the back, but it’s just the truth of the matter is I put a lot of this into this physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, I give everything I have to this game,” he said.
“I want to make sure that I’m not letting my family down, my coach, the coaches, the province of Saskatchewan.”
Harris among 30+ Riders free agents
It’s unlikely the Riders front office, led by Jeremy O’Day, would force Harris’s hand, but as the team’s highest paid player, his decision will create a domino effect.
The Roughriders’ key offensive free agents include A.J. Oullette, Jermarcus Hardrick and Jacob Brammer.
“Time to get back home and time to get back whatever we got to do to get to the promised land. [Grey Cup] 2027 is here. I would love to do it here. So let’s do it,” Hardrick said Sunday.
Hardrick, 36, was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Lineman in 2025.
Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Tommy Stevens (17) and Zack Fry (67) carry Jermarcus Hardrick (52) while celebrating a touchdown against the Toronto Argonauts during second half CFL football action in Regina on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (Kayle Neis/The Canadian Press)
On the defensive side, Tevaughn Campbell, Rolan Milligan Jr., Marcus Sayles and a majority of the defensive line are free agents.
“I would love to come back. It’s a situational thing. We just got to talk with the family, talk with the coaches and see where it goes,” Sayles said Sunday.
Campbell suffered serious injuries in back-to-back seasons and said that factors into his future.
“I’m undecided right now. Injuries definitely play a part, I’m not gonna lie about that. Especially being my age in the league and suffering back-to-back years of broken bones. It weighs heavy on me.”
Campbell, 33, an alum of the University of Regina, played several seasons in the NFL and forced a fumble at the goal line late in the 2025 Grey Cup game, helping the Riders win the title.
Montreal Alouettes’ Shea Patterson (7) fumbles the ball as Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Tevaughn Campbell (26) tackles him during second half CFL football action at the 112th Grey Cup, in Winnipeg on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
Mace looks forward
The focus now shifts to 2027 and the prospect of a home Grey Cup game.
Last offseason, the reigning Grey Cup champions lost key players to free agency. Head coach Corey Mace said he and the front office will now start preparing for next year.
“I can’t really put my finger on it, if there’s going to be more or less at any certain position in comparison to other years,” Mace said.
He said the team will look to lock up players before they hit the open market. Last week, the team re-signed offensive tackle Payton Collins.
As he looked back on 2026, Mace said the 26-19 loss on the road in Hamilton still “bugs” him.
The team was outscored 16-0 in the fourth quarter. It started a stretch where the Riders went 2-6 and dropped into a fight for a playoff spot. That skid ultimately cost the team a home playoff game.