Trevor Harris' new contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders won't put him on the podium as one of the CFL's three highest-paid defensemen, but that's by design.
“Honestly, I never, ever wanted to be one of the top three highest-paid guys in the league. That was never really a goal or anything like that, and so I stayed away from it,” Harris said Friday. “I'm happy with where we're at and I feel like it's fair compensation for both sides. I think Joe (general manager Jeremy O'Day) would probably say the same thing.”
39-year-old prop player signed a one-year contract extension with the Riders on Thursday.I'm going to bed there are doubts about whether he will retire after winning the Gray Cup MVP tournament Saskatchewan's 25-17 win over the Montreal Alouettes in Winnipeg last month..
Harris earned $444,700 in playing time for the Riders' first-place regular season finish, plus another $23,000 in standard playoff bonuses for winning the title. It put him fifth among CFL defensemen by earnings in 2025behind British Columbia's Nathan Rourke, Toronto's Chad Kelly, Winnipeg's Zach Collaros and Calgary's Vernon Adams Jr.
At the time of his latest renewal, the Waldo, Ohio native described his deal as a “team deal” as long as you consider him in the top tier of passers in a league with three players below. While the details of this new deal have not yet been revealed, he described it in a similar light.
“I think it's all the same. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and where you see me,” he said. “My goal is not to make as much money as possible. That's never happened and that's not what I'm concerned about. I want this team to do the right thing, and I've officially told Jeremy that if it ever gets to the point where a small part of us gets a guy who changes our trajectory, I'm always willing to discuss and help.”
Saskatchewan had 44 agents awaiting release negotiate his way out in the offseason, of which Harris was undoubtedly the most important. Even in his twilight years, a six-foot-three, 212-pound QB would attract interest on the open market and be 3DownNationfifth-best free agent prospect in entire class.
However, Harris didn't use that as leverage to negotiate a better deal with the Riders. He did most of the negotiations with O'Day himself and settled on a number that would give the team the ability to re-sign other pieces.
“I haven’t thought much about it,” Harris said when asked about how much he’s reduced his overall earning potential. “I just thought about what would be fair in terms of what I feel like I accomplished in what we just did and also making sure we can get guys back. That's really where I'm at right now.”
“It was two conversations with JO and we kind of worked out a deal together and got it done. In my opinion it was quite simple. It was like, “This is what I'm thinking.” “That's what I'm thinking.” And it just kind of worked out that I think we should get guys back anyway, but also compensate it fairly. Money is not really something that has ever motivated me. “I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to take care of my family.”
Harris played arguably the best football of his 13-year CFL career in 2025, completing 73.5 percent of his passes for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 16 starts. He capped it with Saskatchewan's fifth championship parade in history and his first as a starting fullback.
While the veteran signal-caller still believes he can improve, he remains aware of where he is in his career. Unlike many team-friendly contracts that trade short-term financial benefits for greater long-term stability, Harris' contract with the Riders only runs through 2026. The idea of a multi-year contract was discussed but not seriously considered.
“It was a short discussion, but at this point it's really going to go on year after year. I don't think we'll have too much drama if there's mutual interest that comes back at the end of the year. I think we'll kind of make it work,” he said.
“I'll be 40 years old. Why sign a long-term contract and make things even more difficult? More or less I just feel that if I play, I'll play in green and white, and if they want me to keep playing, we'll find a way to make it work.”
That was the case this year when the deal was completed less than three weeks after the Riders lifted the trophy. The hope is that, without breaking the bank, Harris could help the team get him back up.
