Former first-round NFL Draft pick, quarterback Paxton Lynch has left the Saskatchewan Roughriders and travelled back to the United States.
Head coach Craig Dickenson confirmed last week that Lynch was unvaccinated against COVID-19, which means he would not have been eligible to travel, dress or play if the Riders made it to the West Final or Grey Cup.
“Paxton went home, he knows he can’t travel with us, he’s got a young family,” Dickenson said.
“He’s still on the team, we wanted him to stick around, but he made the decision he wanted to head home and we support that. He’s home in Denver right now but he’s still on the team.”
Unvaccinated players will no longer be eligible for air or train travel in Canada as of Tuesday, November 30. Lynch was the only member of the green and white who was not immunized against the coronavirus.
The six-foot-seven, 244-pound passer spent the entire 2021 regular season on the Riders active roster or one-game injured list, allowing him to collect his full salary while learning the three-down game and honing his skills on the Canadian field.
Lynch’s compensation for the current year included $65,000 in base salary, $3,600 in housing with a $200-per-game active roster bonus possible. He could have earned an extra $500 for every game in which he played 51 percent or more of the offensive snaps.
However, the 27-year-old did not dress for a game as Cody Fajardo, Isaac Harker, and Mason Fine were the three quarterbacks used by Saskatchewan on game day rosters during the regular season. Lynch’s current contract runs through the end of the 2022 season.
During two seasons in Denver, Lynch suited up in five games. He had a 1-3 win-loss record while completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 792 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. He hasn’t played in an NFL game since the 2017 season. Seattle and Pittsburgh released him among the final training camp cuts in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Lynch earned north of $8.8 million in the NFL.
