With CFL quarterbacks on pace to post their worst collective touchdown-to-interception ratio since 2009, there is plenty of concern across the league about what the future of the Canadian football looks like under centre.
Long time CFL defensive tackle Zack Evans is one of those questioning the absence of real face of the franchise stars in 2021, as controversy, injury or poor performance have struck almost every quarterback room.
“I played in that time where you had [Anthony] Calvillo, you had Ricky Ray, you had guys that were franchise quarterbacks that, you know what, they’ll never leave. That’s just who they are. They want to live and die in their uniforms. Right now, I don’t feel like we’re seeing that,” Evans bemoaned in an appearance on The Sportscage in Regina.
“In the end, there’s only two quarterbacks that have done anything in this league: Mike Reilly and Bo Levi [Mitchell]. They’re the only ones that have taken it to that next step to win a Grey Cup and do the things that they need to do.”
Other quarterbacks, like Zach Collaros, Cody Fajardo and Vernon Adams Jr, just aren’t at the same level in the eyes of the eight-year CFL veteran, who made a career out of getting in the face of passers across the league. Even among those two elite starters however, Evans sees a discrepancy and there is no doubt as to who he’d pick to lead his team.
“Mike Reilly. A hundred percent Mike Reilly. He is one of those guys who will die for you and will die for the team. And he will do anything and everything in his power to win,” Evans emphasized. “I don’t see that from Bo.”
Over the course of his 11-year CFL career, Michael Reilly has established a well-earned reputation as the league’s toughest player. He’s thrown for 33,714 yards, 178 touchdowns and 102 interceptions along the way, while also rushing for 3,494 yards and 55 touchdowns. In 2017, he was named the league’s Most Outstanding Player.
By contrast, Bo Levi Mitchell has gotten off to one of the fastest starts ever in a CFL career in his nine seasons in Calgary, bookending Reilly’s win with MOP trophies in both 2016 and 2018. He’s thrown for 29,675 yards, 175 touchdowns and just 80 picks in that span.
The two passers met on Saturday, with Mitchell coming out as the clear victor, but the 31-year old has struggled at times this year. He missed two games with a leg fracture and has admitted to feeling the lingering effects of a surgically repaired shoulder from the 2019 season, resulting in his benching in one game and him pulling himself in another.
Reilly himself battled through an elbow injury early in the season, but has traditionally been much tougher to get off the field than Mitchell. Toughness isn’t Evans issue with the younger of the two quarterbacks, however. It is their performance in big moments that he sees as Bo Levi’s biggest red flag.
“I believe that Bo is a great quarterback and he’s always going to be great. He’s always going to be that guy who was won rings. I get that, but in those big games, I don’t know if I want to call him a choker, but he’s seems to choke a little more than Mike,” Evans said frankly.
That is something the former Ottawa Redblack saw first hand as a player. In 2015, Reilly decimated Evans’ team on the way to hoisting the Grey Cup and being named the game’s MVP.
Mitchell himself has two of each trophy, from 2014 and 2018, but he’s lost twice more in the big game, including to Evans and the Redblacks in 2016. Mitchell had 391 yards and two touchdowns in that contest, but also threw three interception and failed to complete a pass in overtime to win that game.
A similar failure to perform in 2017 has hung over Mitchell and wasn’t fully erased by a Grey Cup win in 2018. The brash Texan has always had plenty of talk, but his big game actions are a topic of debate for hardnosed players like Evans.
Nevertheless, there is no arguing against Mitchell’s status as one of the few remaining CFL elite, but for how long is the question. Neither Reilly nor Mitchell appear to be at the peak of their careers and the questions at quarterback in the CFL could only get worse.
“I feel like we’re going to get there at some point, but this is one of those years where it’s just a learning curve,” Evans said.
“Quarterbacks need to get better and quarterbacks need to learn and get receivers and have continuity and slowly but surely we’ll get back to that. But this is one of those lull years, or lull couple of years.”
