Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell signed a four-year contract worth almost $3 million to continue playing for the Calgary Stampeders, per sources.
The deal makes Mitchell the second highest paid player in the CFL after to Mike Reilly who signed a four-year pact with the B.C. Lions worth $2.9 million. For Mitchell, each season steps up the compensation: $675,000, $695,000, $705,000 and $725,000 over the term of the contract. That’s a significant raise from the $475,000 Mitchell collected in 2018.
But it’s also clear that Mitchell left money on the table from Saskatchewan and Toronto.
It was a three-team competition for Mitchell between the Stamps, Argos and Riders. Calgary bumped their offer up Monday night while the Argos and Riders presented Mitchell with large offers shortly after free agency kicked off. Once again, the Stamps raised the dollar amount on Tuesday to get the deal done.
Ultimately, Mitchell chose to stay in the established winning environment with head coach Dave Dickenson and general manager John Hufnagel.
Mitchell capped yet another stellar season in 2018 by leading the Stampeders to a CFL championship. The 28-year-old became the first player in league history to throw for more than 5,000 yards without having a single receiver record 1,000 yards. Despite an ever-changing receiving core, Mitchell adapted on the fly and still led the CFL in touchdown passes with 35.
NFL teams were buzzing with interest in December as Mitchell worked out for seven NFL teams and even more wanted to bring him into their facilities. But the guaranteed money wasn’t where it needed to be for Mitchell to feel as though he had a legitimate shot to compete for a backup or starting job.
Mitchell is the face of the franchise in Calgary having won two Grey Cups, two CFL title game MVP awards and two CFL MOP trophies on his resume. He originally signed with Calgary in 2012, spent that season as the third-string quarterback. Mitchell started his first CFL game in 2013 and earned the full-time number one quarterback role in 2014.
Calgary is where Mitchell developed into a star and the Stampeders keep the franchise quarterback in Cowtown for the prime years of his career and build a long lasting legacy.
