‘It’s been home:’ Schaffer-Baker excited to remain in Saskatchewan

Kian Schaffer-Baker provides an aerial weapon for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and he’ll remain grounded in Saskatchewan for the next few years.

The 24-year-old product of Mississauga, Ont., signed an extension with the CFL team that will keep the receiver in green and white through the 2025 season.

“It’s been home for the past few years,” Schaffer-Baker, who was taken by the Riders in the fourth round of the 2020 CFL draft, said Friday.

“They were the team that selected me and that sits special in my heart. There’s no better feeling you get playing in front of this home crowd and just being in that stadium and hearing all 33,000 people screaming your name.

“I just want to continue to build on that legacy and make history with this team and bring many Grey Cups and just win games.”

Schaffer-Baker has turned into a fan favourite since he came onto the scene as a rookie in 2021.

That season, he appeared in 12 games and caught 47 passes for 563 yards and two touchdowns. He was named the team’s most outstanding rookie due to his production.

He followed that up with a sophomore campaign in 2022 in which he was Saskatchewan’s top offensive threat with 960 yards receiving and five touchdowns. He was named the team’s most outstanding Canadian.

But this year, fans will need to wait a bit longer to see the former University of Guelph Gryphon in action. He underwent off-season hip surgery and is expected to miss the first few games.

“Therapy has been going phenomenal, our new therapist has been doing a wonderful job so I’ve got to give a big shoutout to him,” Schaffer-Baker said. “(The injury) happened going into my first season — so it would’ve been the COVID year (of 2020 when the season was cancelled) — just through training.”

Schaffer-Baker said he wanted to do whatever he could to help the team win, which was why he put off having the surgery.

“If I did get surgery, that means I would have missed either my first or second year. I just put that in the back of my mind and I was just doing whatever to help the team win,” Schaffer-Baker said.

He also put it off this off-season as he attended nine different workouts with NFL teams to try and take his talents south.

While he didn’t get any offers, he is keeping the door open with this new contract; he will only be 26 years old when it expires.

“(The NFL) has always been the dream. It’s a marathon and (it’s about) seeing things in a long-distance perspective and keeping your vision alive and knowing nothing worthwhile happens overnight,” Schaffer-Baker said.

“Tomorrow is never promised. Today is at stake and that’s all you have to focus on.”

So for now, Schaffer-Baker will be calling Saskatchewan home.

“This is just where I love to be, playing in front of Saskatchewan and Rider Nation,” Schaffer-Baker said. “It’s a dream come true.”