Riders confirm one-year extension for quarterback Trevor Harris

Trevor Harris is back in the huddle for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“It was pretty much a no-brainer. I feel like I’m playing the best football of my career, I think some of the best football I am going to play is right in front of me,” Harris said. “I felt like I had multiple years left in the tank, I was like this is where I want to be.”

Reports earlier this week indicated the CFL club had extended the 38-year-old quarterback’s contract for another year, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders made the news official on Friday morning.

Harris said you can’t read too much into it just being a one-year extension.

“I think if you read into anyone’s deal, they are all one-year deals — if you underperform your contract, the team is going to cut you. If you overperform, you’re not going to get more money,” Harris said.

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Despite an injury early in the season leaving him sidelined for six games, Harris had a banner year in green and white in 2024, setting a franchise record for passing accuracy (completing 72.4 per cent while throwing for 3,264 yards and 20 touchdowns). He was also named the West Division’s All-CFL quarterback.

“Entering the 2025 season, Harris has CFL career passing totals of 33,148 yards (16th on the All-Time list), 2,749 completions (13th), 3,886 attempts (18th) and 180 touchdowns (20th),” the team said in a statement. “His career completion percentage (70.74) is second-best in league history.”

While Harris will be 39 next CFL season, Harris said people don’t need to worry about how old he will be.

“I would tell you to not worry about the age — I’m going to be fine,” Harris said. “You won’t see a physical decline. Those are things I have worked on for the last decade-and-a-half — to make sure that I can get to this point and not have a physical deterioration be why I have to be done playing football.”

Before joining the Riders in 2023, the Waldo, Ohio product spent time with the Edmonton Elks, Ottawa Redblacks and Toronto Argonauts.

Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris believes the team can get to the Grey Cup in 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)

Harris missed most of his first season with the team due to a knee injury limiting him to just five games. Last season, Harris missed six games due to a knee injury.

One of his goals this season is to play in all 18 games.

“For me being under center for all 18 games is a big thing that I want to be able to provide for a team,” Harris said. “Unfortunately, I had someone fall onto my knee last year in an unfortunate situation.”

Harris said that his goal is to have the Riders in the best spot possible at the quarterback position.

“If I’m not that in a year, I shouldn’t be here and I don’t want to be here because I want what’s best for this organization,” Harris said. “I’m back because I know I can provide that and I know I am that especially because I have Marc Mueller and the guys around me. It’s not because of me — make no mistake of that — but I feel I have prime years left.”

Harris said whatever expectations the fans have for this team in 2025, to raise them higher.

“We want to exceed those expectations. The right people are in place in terms of leadership … We have those right guys in place for us to continue building something special here,” Harris said. “My goal is to send this organization off correctly whenever I am out of here.”

So what does Harris believe the next steps are for the team?

“Win the Grey Cup,” Harris said. “I’ve come up with a few things we can do schematically and a few things I can improve on and will improve on from my game last year … This is my first time since 2018 going into an offseason where I have the same offensive co-ordinator and the same system.

“There’s several things but what it starts with is the knitting together of the brotherhood. To me, the best teams are the closest teams.”

Riders extend Charbel Dabire

The Riders announced another contract extension on Friday with national defensive tackle Charbel Dabire.

Dabire, who is originally from Burkina Faso, remains with the team for 2025 after missing much of the 2024 season with a knee injury.

Defensive tackle Charbel Dabire has been with the Riders since 2019. (File photo courtesy of the Saskatchewan Roughriders)

Despite suiting up for just four games, Dabire registered four defensive tackles, one special teams tackle and his first career forced fumble. His two sacks, both earned in Week 3, matched his career-highs in 2022 and 2023.

Dabire was selected by the Riders in the fifth round (44th overall) of the 2019 CFL Draft. He has played 59 career regular-season games and three playoff games. Over five seasons he registered 41 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, eight sacks and one forced fumble.