The Saskatchewan Roughriders started the offseason by making a declaration: they were going to do whatever it took to avoid a third straight losing season. That’s given the team management a difficult choice: who to start at quarterback.
Battle to Start: Vince Young vs. Kevin Glenn
The Riders’ opening move was to part ways with Darian Durant, their longtime fixture at quarterback. Durant had been at the helm of the Riders for a decade before the team dealt him to the Montreal Alouettes in January.
A full ten days after the starting quarterback position was vacated in Saskatchewan, it was once again filled by the signing of veteran Kevin Glenn. Last season, he was the signal caller in Montreal before the Als sent him to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the latter part of the year. For a little over a month, it seemed Glenn would be the clear-cut number one for the Riders in the 2017 season.
That all changed when the rumors started to fly around former NCAA Heisman Trophy candidate and NFL veteran Vince Young. He was interested in returning to football, but although several landing spots in the United States were offered up, ultimately Saskatchewan caught his attention. In a press conference yesterday, the Riders announced the Young signing, making his return official.
Now, Glenn and Young will battle for the starting job in camp, each hoping to prove that the game has not passed them by. For Vince, this is a chance at redemption after a rocky pro career that ended unceremoniously, and too soon in his opinion. Glenn, on the other hand, will be looking to show that he still has what it takes to be a starter in the CFL. After leaving the Alouettes and being relegated to back-up duties behind Matt Nichols, Glenn wants to be a major contributor in the waning years of his career.
Vince Young vs. Kevin Glenn: By The Numbers
Let’s look at the tale of the tape as we compare, on paper, these two competitors going into training camp.*
| Vince Young | Kevin Glenn | |
| AGE | 33 | 37 |
| YEARS PRO | 6 | 16 |
| GAMES PLAYED | 60 | 251 |
| PASSING YARDS | 8,964 | 48,782 |
| COMPLETION PCT. | 57.9 | 62.8 |
| PASSING TD’S | 46 | 270 |
| INTERCEPTIONS | 51 | 193 |
| RUSHING YARDS | 1,459 | 1,505 |
| RUSHING TDS | 12 | 11 |
* Statistics acquired from CFL.com and NFL.com
Of course, these numbers cannot and do not compare. Glenn has enjoyed a much more successful professional career than Young has, there is no denying it. Why then the interest in kicking the tires on Young?
If you know anything about Vince’s college years, you know he was a dominant running quarterback. That trait is an attractive one in the CFL, and if Young’s fresh legs can still do what they once could, would be a huge advantage in his favor over Glenn, who is not known for his mobility lately.
However this battle shakes out, the Riders proved that they are willing to take some big chances this year to return to winning form and compete with the top tier teams in the West Division again. And whoever does take the field under centre for Saskatchewan will have quite an arsenal at their disposal, as the team added the likes of Chad Owens and Bakari Grant by way of free agency.
Hope you brought your popcorn. The pre-season in Saskatchewan just got interesting.
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