Trading for Jake Maier was "a big decision" — Jeremy O'Day
12/23/2024 08:14 PM
Four quarterbacks threw at least 20 touchdown passes during the 2024 CFL season.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders now own the rights to half of them.
Trevor Harris, a West Division All-CFL selection this past season, threw for 20 scores over 11 starts.
Jake Maier, whose 22 TD passes ranked him third in the league, was acquired on Monday from the Calgary Stampeders. In return for the negotiating rights to Maier, a pending free agent, Roughriders Vice-President of Football Operations and General Manager Jeremy O'Day relinquished an eighth-round pick in the 2025 CFL Draft.
"It’s a tricky one to talk too much about, because we still have to figure out a contract with him," O'Day cautioned. "We want to welcome him, but we also know that we still have some work to do so that he's with us for more than a month or two."
Maier is eligible to become a free agent on Feb. 11. If he signs with Saskatchewan before the start of the 2025 season, an escalator clause in Monday's deal calls for the draft pick to be elevated to a seventh-rounder.
"He’s an established guy and has proven that he can play at a high level," O'Day said. "He makes some throws that you get excited about, for sure."
Last season, Maier threw for 3,841 yards (fourth-best in the league). His TD pass total ranked him third overall, behind Bo Levi Mitchell of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (32) and McLeod Bethel-Thompson of the Edmonton Elks (24).
A CFLer since 2021, Maier was a colleague of Marc Mueller for three seasons. Mueller, a former Stampeders assistant coach, is entering his second season as the Roughriders' offensive co-ordinator.
"The relationship with Marc and how he speaks about him is really positive," O'Day said.
Before the trade was announced to the public, Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace reached out to Harris and Maier.
"Corey called him and he was excited and thankful that we traded for him and he was fired up," said O'Day, who expects to begin discussions with Maier's representation shortly after the holiday season.
"Trevor's just awesome. He asked for Jake's number and said, 'Anything that's going to help the team, I'm all for.' "
Harris, who turns 39 on May 31, signed a new one-year contract with the Roughriders earlier this month. He is preparing for his third season as the team's starting quarterback.
Maier, who already has 45 CFL starts and 11,685 passing yards to his credit, turns 28 on April 9.
"We're definitely excited to get the chance to talk to him and to have a chance to bring another quality guy into the building," O'Day said.
"We're really just trying to secure that position, knowing how important it is for a football team to have not only one, but two good quarterbacks. We're still really high on Jack Coan as well.
"It's a big decision, but we also felt it was important to try to do it."
The Roughriders have three quarterbacks under contract for next season — Harris, sophomore Jack Coan and newcomer Michael Hiers.
Shea Patterson, who made six starts as the understudy to Harris last season in addition to serving as the short-yardage quarterback, is eligible to test free agency in February.
MAIER MATHEMATICS
Maier is the 4,512th documented player whose rights have been owned by the Roughriders or the Regina Rugby Club, dating back to 1910.
That lengthy list includes 304 quarterbacks — 163 of whom have dressed for at least one regular-season or playoff game.
Maier is also the second Roughrider to hail from Fullerton, Calif. The first — defensive back Claudius Wright — attended training camp in 1998.
As well, Maier is the 11th alumnus of the University of California, Davis, to be affiliated with the Roughriders in some form.
Three UC-Davis products have played in at least one game with the Green and White — defensive lineman Rick Mohr (1984-85), quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan (2012) and receiver Bakari Grant (2017).
Six of the hopefuls from UC-Davis attended training camp in 1983 — running backs Ron Austin and Darryl Goss, defensive backs Gavin Carr and Rodney Ridgell, and linebackers Matt Gersper and Bob Slater.
Maier and offensive lineman Colton Lamson (training camp 2023) are also from UC-Davis.
