In a league known for its one and two-year deals, you cannot help but notice the longer-term CFL contracts being signed. The latest is Calgary’s poster boy, Bo Levi Mitchell.
Born and raised in Katy, Texas; this young man is more than comfortable with the white cowboy hats, the ranch lands all around, and the iconic Calgary Stampede.
On Tuesday, the Stampeders announced that they had signed the 25-year-old pivot to a four-year contract extension. Terms of the deal were undisclosed as per team policy. Speculation leads me to believe Mitchell’s salary is in the $485-535k per season range, joining the league’s other top-earning signal callers.
To recap a little, Mitchell is the 2014 Grey Cup winning quarterback. He was named MVP for that hard-fought effort in a 20-16 nail-biter in Vancouver against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Ponder this. The league’s all-time leading passer, Anthony Calvillo, took about four years to really grab the reins of a CFL offence. Once he did, success ensued and he is now in our memories forever and in the CFL Hall of Fame.
But unlike Calvillo, Mitchell went out in 2014 and tied a CFL record for consecutive victories at the start of a career with seven. That ties the mark set by a guy pretty well known North and South of the 49th parallel, Jeff Garcia. Neither of them may have the most raw talent, but they certainly have that gritty quality you like in your leaders.
Garcia was a hot commodity following the 1998 CFL season when then-San Francisco 49ers GM, Bill Walsh, looked to the Stampeders to replace a legend in Steve Young. Garcia performed well and made consecutive Pro Bowls, cementing his future in the NFL.
So who are we fooling? These two Stampeder QBs even look a bit alike, with their lanky frames and fair skin and hair.
Is a contract extension through 2018 going to stop an NFL GM from looking at Bo? No.
Will it stop a CFL GM from being nice and letting a player out of a contract signed in good faith and legal responsibility? No.
I believe that is a huge problem that has to change in this ever more competitive market for the most talented football players in the world. The new Gridiron Football League in Australia claims it will compete for players directly with the CFL and the NFL within five years.
Perhaps it’s time the CFL thought a bit more about its player pool’s global position. The first shots have been fired by CFL GM’s with these longer-term deals we’ve been seeing. They are clearly trying to retain these assets and make a CFL career as attractive as possible an option.
The second wave is having all the GM’s putting their foot down on guys trying to leave who are under contract for more than one season. If they have plans on playing elsewhere they can consider that before they meet at the bargaining table. When they leave the table they live with the terms of the deal for the length of the contract. When the contract has less than a season left, then maybe the league can move a little. But no more letting guys out early and that includes Bo Levi Mitchell.
Future moves might include a roster spot for developing Canadian quarterbacks. Or loosening the definition of a national player to allow an influx of ever-better Australasian born players.
In the meantime, I can appreciate what the CFL GMs are trying to do and I’d like to see more of it. Oh my, is it June yet?
Thank you for reading. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
