Darrell Davis: Burris won't be back

Henry Burris is a 41-year-old kid who still loves playing football. He will be the Ottawa Redblacks’ starting quarterback in Sunday’s Grey Cup game.

He wants to play one more year in the CFL. Could it be in Saskatchewan?

“Gimme a call,” Burris said yesterday, with a laugh.

The Roughriders are half-heartedly trying to re-sign veteran quarterback Darian Durant. Negotiations are getting ugly. Riders boss Chris Jones wants to obtain promising quarterback James Franklin, who has one contract year remaining with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Edmonton won’t trade Franklin to Saskatchewan, so the Riders need a one-year stopgap. That’s how they envision Durant, who is nearly as infuriated about that notion as Rider fans are.

With a Durant deal looking less and less likely to be consummated, Burris’ name has come up as a one-year replacement. Burris has become persona non grata in Saskatchewan since leaving as a free agent. That’s not why he won’t again be a Roughrider. It’s because he’s under contract to the Redblacks for next year – his final CFL season.