Bo Levi Mitchell may have signed two-year contract extension with Hamilton Tiger-Catsbut the veteran quarterback has no commitment beyond next season.
“I think I'd be lying if I didn't say this would probably be an annual thought process,” the 35-year-old admitted on Friday. “I talked to (Brandon Revenberg) about it. I talked to guys on other teams. I talked to Milt (Stegall) about it during some of the Gray Cup weeks, just kind of how he knew. I think mentally, at the end of the year, you have some feeling of, 'Do I want to get hit more?'
“How you finish your year has a lot to do with how you want to play next year. I ended the year very healthy, mentally very strong. I just felt like I could go out and play next week, whereas a lot of times at the end of the year you kind of drag out and are in a recovery race.”
Mitchell was candid about I'm contemplating retirement over the past few offseasons, has gone so far as to suggest that he regularly thinks about riding off into the sunset if only the Ticats could overcome the quarter-century drought in the Gray Cup. However, a 13-year CFL veteran stays on top of his gameleading the CFL the last two years and making the Most Outstanding Player final both times.
The past two seasons have been the first and third-best years of Mitchell's career. This, along with support from key voices in both his personal and professional lifethis time simplified the decision-making process.
“I realized it pretty quickly when I finished the year. Talked to (my wife) Madison; she saw it. I talked to my older brother Pat; he saw it. My mom, that's it,” Mitchell said. “(Ticats general manager) Scott Mitchell walked by, Kenny Lawler's whole family walked by, and they were like, 'Don't let that MFer (sic) retire.' They used a few words to make sure I knew how much they valued me. Of course, it was great to hear that from one of your best players and the guy who signs the checks.”
The two Mitchells negotiated the new agreement primarily among themselves, a process that the defense lawyer said required only four to six text messages once it began.
After injuries marred his first season with Hamilton, the Katy, Texas native spent the last two seasons on the sidelines. Even after contract renegotiation last offseasonin 2025 it reached a maximum of $374,800 – sixth among CFL defensemen. As the league's top pending free agent, he had leverage to make back every dollar he lost if he tried the open market, but he didn't even consider that possibility.
“Oh no, that was never a possibility. It was either Hamilton or nothing,” Mitchell insisted. “The decision wasn't whether I wanted to be here or not – I wanted to be in Hamilton. I've grown to love this place very dearly over the last three years.”
However, that doesn't mean Mitchell didn't get a decent raise. While he declined to give exact numbers, the five-time All-Star compared his contract. to QB Trevor Harris of the Saskatchewan Roughriderswhose recent one-year extension will pay him $455,300 in hard money next season and a maximum of $509,300 if all playing incentives are met.
Not only are these two passersby close in monetary value, but they also share a similar philosophy when it comes to what did they want from the deal?.
“Trevor and I are in a position where we've been playing in the league for a very long time. If you do that and you have at least a decent amount of money, you can make a good living. I think we have the opportunity to maybe not try to ask for big money every time,” Mitchell explained.
“That's why the last two years, when the production dropped off in '23 and also because of the injuries, I was perfectly willing to take a lower contract to stay here to be able to play for this organization, and last year too. Obviously Scott Mitchell and (president of football operations Orlondo Steinauer) felt like they got value the last two years, so they reciprocated the favor a little bit this year, but just went back to the normal aspect of starting quarterback money.”
Unlike Harris, who factored his annual decision-making process into the length of his contract, Mitchell felt it was important to stick with the Ticats for multiple seasons.
While either side could decide to make 2026 the end of an era depending on the outcome, the structure sends a message to both pending agents and season ticket holders looking to resume play.
“I think a one-year deal doesn't show the fans and other players a lot of continuity,” Mitchell said. “But the reality is that for the most part they are always for one year. Only now they have my rights for the next year, the contract is valid. It gives security to both parties.”
Both the team and Mitchell understand that safety is an illusion in professional sports, where nothing is guaranteed. At least for now, this illusion will serve both of their purposes.
