‘It just got to be too much’: Dickenson provides reasoning for Marino release

After multiple on-field incidents, the Saskatchewan Roughriders decided to move on from Garrett Marino.

“It just got to be too much and it starts wearing you down and becoming a distraction,” head coach Craig Dickenson said Wednesday, one day after the CFL team announced it had released the 28-year-old defensive tackle.

“He knows it. I don’t think he was even surprised.

“It was just a distraction. You read these things — he got fined, he got suspended, he was getting warned again and after a while, it wears you down a little bit and we felt like it was becoming a distraction.”

The release came as the team prepares for a rematch with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Banjo Bowl on Saturday. Kickoff for the game is set for 3 p.m. The Green Zone pre-game show begins at 1 p.m.

Marino had been the centre of controversy in 2022, especially after a July 8 game against the Ottawa Redblacks.

Marino hit Redblacks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli low, for which Marino was penalized and ejected. On his way off the field, he celebrated while Masoli lay on the turf, injured from the hit.

Marino was then suspended for four games — two for the hit on Masoli, one for what the CFL called comments about Masoli’s heritage and one for a hit on a Redblacks offensive lineman. It was the longest suspension handed out by the league for an on-field incident.

Marino also was ejected from the 2021 Banjo Bowl.

In his first game back from his 2022 suspension, he was fined for a hit on a B.C. Lions offensive lineman.

Against Winnipeg on Sunday, Marino once again found himself in the spotlight due to a late hit on Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros.

Marino’s teammates showed him support throughout his suspension and criticism. When they spoke out the matter Wednesday, their comments were muted.

“I’m done talking about it,” quarterback Cody Fajardo said. “It is what it is. He was one of us and it’s unfortunate what happened, but we’ve just got to move on and win some football games.”

“The guys are fine. We all feel bad about it. There’s nobody here that wins. It’s a lose-lose for everybody,” Dickenson added. “It’s a lose for Garrett, a lose for the league in terms of a good player (and a) lose for the team in (the locker room). No one feels good but sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

TSN’s Dave Naylor is reporting that a memo went out from CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie to teams reminding them that he can refuse to register any contract.

Hearing that a memo has gone-out from CFL commissioner @RandyAmbrosie regarding Garrett Marino, reminding teams that he can refuse to register any player contract for any reason deemed valid. Presumably the valid reason in this instance would be player safety. #CFL #Riders

— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) September 7, 2022

While discipline has been an issue for the Riders — they took 12 penalties for 99 yards in a 20-18 loss to the Bombers in the Labour Day Classic — Dickenson said that wasn’t his goal with the release of Marino.

“I don’t believe in sending messages. I think you try to do the best you can with each person individually. If it sends a message subconsciously, great. Hopefully it sends the right message that the team is more important than the individual,” Dickenson said.

While it’s a different situation, Duke Williams has been another player whose discipline has been called into question this season.

Prior to the Touchdown Atlantic game against the Toronto Argonauts on July 16, Williams was accused of spitting in the face of Argos defender Shaq Richardson. Williams also threw Richardson’s helmet at him in the pregame warmup.

Then in the Labour Day Classic, despite not playing due to ankle and hip injuries, Williams was penalized for a bench infraction.

“It’s not great (behaviour); it’s just undisciplined and selfish and he feels bad about it. He came to talk to me and we’re going to take care of that in house,” Dickenson said. “It’s different but in some ways similar: It’s putting yourself ahead of the team and we want to discourage that as best we can.”

Williams started practice with the team Wednesday but left early. Dickenson said Williams is questionable for Saturday’s game in Winnipeg.