The Ottawa Redblacks have signed quarterback Nick Arbuckle to a two-year contract through the 2021 season, per sources.
The agreement includes a $210,000 signing bonus with $420,000 and $430,000 in hard money for the deal and $470,000 total available in year one, $495,000 in year two.
Arbuckle was seeking a substantial pay raise after making base minimum salary ($54,000) in 2018 and 2019. He wanted north of $400,000 on his new contract and even more.
Ottawa traded for the rights to Arbuckle, a pending free agent. Now that the Redblacks have signed Arbuckle to a new contract, Calgary will receive the first overall pick in the 2020 CFL draft. He was scheduled to hit the open market on February 11.
While Bo Levi Mitchell was out of the lineup due to a pectoral injury, Arbuckle posted a 4-3 record as the starting QB for the Calgary Stampeders last season. He completed 73 percent of his passes for 2,103 yards with 11 touchdowns against five interceptions and ran 27 times for 76 yards and four majors.
Arbuckle visited Ottawa during the second last weekend in January and left on Tuesday, January 22. The Redblacks put on a recruiting pitch to get his signature on the dotted line prior to their exclusive negotiating time expiring in February.
