All-star receiver Eugene Lewis is firing back at Edmonton Elks’ general manager Ed Hervey over comments made prior to the start of free agency.
The Ottawa Redblacks’ newest pass catcher aired his frustrations on 620 CKRM’s The SportsCage on Friday, indicating that the leader of the Elks’ new regime never contacted him to discuss contracts or indicate the team was moving on.
“I never talked to Ed. I’ve never talked to Ed to this day, since free agency, nothing like that,” Lewis revealed. “When he came out with the article and was saying everything he was saying, this is what I have to get people to understand. I’m a superstar in this league. I’m not a regular player, I’m not just a rookie or nothing like that. Think about if this was the NFL and you’re trying to talk to Ja’Marr Chase or something like this, and you don’t have a conversation with him. That’s not smart.”
Hervey delivered an impassioned rant to the media during the CFL’s Winter Meetings, indicating that he would not pay the then-pending free agent Lewis anywhere close to the $300,000 he had previously commanded. The newly-hired GM also stated that he had no existing relationship with the receiver and would not make an offer for his services until an appropriate value was set by the open market.
Lewis was taken aback by the strident public comments, which came before he had provided any indication of his financial demands. After two seasons in Edmonton, he departed for Ottawa feeling disrespected by the lack of private communication and the overall tone of Hervey’s statements.
“I want to be somewhere where I’m appreciated, not tolerated. I want people to be happy for me to be getting the money that I’m getting. I don’t want it to be a burden on people, or people trying to take my money at the end of it, or trying to find some way to tell me why I don’t deserve it,” Lewis insisted, pointing out the irony of Hervey being a former receiver himself.
“The thing is, it wasn’t even about the money. I had no problem taking a pay cut this year, but it’s just about talking and communicating. I’m always a person where I want people to get their money up here in the CFL, because we don’t play up here long and a lot of us got to take our money back to the States. From somebody else who’s played in the league and played my position, who was also American, I would think you would want them to reach their full potential that they possibly can — on the field, off the field, and getting money-wise. That’s not what he wanted. He had different ideas and, personally, I respect it but just call me, let me know that you want to go in another direction and that’s cool. Don’t try to degrade me and try to tell me that you’re not going to pay me this, like I’m not worth it. I’m still worth that money.”
Lewis is slated to earn $223,000 in hard money next year in Ottawa, a reduction of $97,000 from what he earned last season in Edmonton. He fielded significant offers from Hamilton and Calgary, as well as a tire-kicking low-ball from Saskatchewan, but ultimately felt the Redblacks were the best fit due to their roster and proximity to family.
Increasing his comfort level was general manager Shawn Burke, whose negotiation strategy stood in stark contrast to Hervey’s. The two built a rapport when Lewis first hit the open market ahead of the 2023 season and even though the four-time all-star was out of Ottawa’s price range then, seeds were planted for a future agreement.
“Burke just kept it real. He just said, ‘Listen, I want you to be here, but I’m not even going to offer you something that’s disrespectful.’ I appreciate that because there’s also GMs and teams that are offering you something disrespectful and not understanding it shouldn’t even have started like this. He just was always very consistent,” Lewis recalled.
“There was more money out there for me, but I just felt like I wanted to be back on the East Coast a little bit more, and I just love the foundation that the Redblacks have right now and I want to be a part of it.”
Lewis earned his third career All-CFL selection in 2024 and surpassed the thousand-yard mark for the third time. He appeared in 30 games over two seasons in Edmonton, catching 122 passes for 1,914 yards and 13 touchdowns despite sometimes inconsistent quarterback play.
Despite his respectable production, the Elks managed just 11 wins while paying the Norristown, Pa. native top-of-the-market money and never made the playoffs. That has lent credence to Hervey’s concerns about paying receivers and contributed to the team’s new strategy of investing at virtually every other position first.
Lewis understands the salary cap challenges but disagrees that top-flight pass catchers aren’t worth the money.
“My game, my stats, and everything that I did through those two years — I prevailed. It’s hard for a receiver to get that type of money and not get a pay cut but I got it two years in a row,” he said.
“I tell people all the time, when you’re comparing me in this league to other receivers, me personally I don’t even see it as just receivers. Like in 2022, I was the MOP of the East. That doesn’t mean just the position that I was, I was competing with a quarterback to get the MOP of the whole league. Forget being the top receiver, I’m a top-five player in the league. When I come on a team, every time, everywhere I’ve been, I make an impact on and off the field.”
The 31-year-old says he has received an outpouring of support from fans in Edmonton since his departure, particularly from the parents of young athletes he touched through his volunteer work. That means as much to him as his 6,261 career receiving yards — most among active players — or his current streak of eight consecutive games with a receiving touchdown, which sits two shy of the CFL record.
Neither his off-field contributions nor on-field accomplishments were appropriately valued by Hervey’s hard-line stance, highlighting what Lewis believes is systemic under-valuation of veterans in the CFL.
“It’s not just me. This is other stars in the league, superstars in the league. We shouldn’t degrade them or put them down because they’re getting a little older,” he said. “Do I look like I’m slowing down? I’m on the verge to break these CFL records, man, and that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to be in the Hall of Fame and get a Grey Cup. That’s what it’s all about.”
