Edmonton Football Team quarterback Trevor Harris made the first move in restructuring his contract.
Harris was scheduled to earn $550,000 in hard money with Edmonton for the 2020 CFL season, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He remains signed with Edmonton through the 2022 season.
“Typically that’s what I have an agent for, but I honestly didn’t know it would get public. It was just one thing I wanted to do. I approached Brock (Sunderland) before they did me and I said let’s do a little reduction to help out the team amidst the pandemic,” Harris told TSN 1260 radio.
“And I know the cap floor being implemented, with the state of the league, and a lot of guys are going to be asked to take less than what they think they should make, I wanted to do my part and do it on my own before anything else happens.”
Harris signed in Edmonton as a free agent in February 2019 following a three-year stint with the Ottawa Redblacks. He made 13 starts in his first season with the team, completing 343-of-478 passes for 4,027 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. The 34-year-old set two new CFL playoff records in the 2019 East Semi-Final, completing 22 consecutive passes and 92.3 percent of his throws.
The six-foot-three, 215-pound passer has thrown for 22,182 yards, 120 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions over eight CFL seasons with Toronto, Ottawa, and Edmonton. He will turn 35 in May and wants to ensure peak physical condition to stay healthy and on the field for the Green and Gold.
“I went back to school with National Academy of Sports Medicine and got certifications to be a personal trainer and also to be a certified nutritionist,” Harris said.
“Just trying to do everything I can with parallels to football to see how I can extend my career to feel better, to be more available for my team,” Harris said.
Harris has been training six days a week and throwing the football to his next door neighbour who also happens to be his brother-in-law, preparing for the scheduled 2021 CFL season in his home state of Ohio.
“We’re going to play ball this season, I have a great feeling,” Harris said. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about us playing.”
