All-star receiver Eugene Lewis publicly aired his grievances against Edmonton Elks’ general manager Ed Hervey following a messy split in free agency, but one CFL legend thinks he should have kept them to himself.
In his weekly appearance on 620 CKRM’s The SportsCage, retired quarterback Darian Durant weighed in on Lewis’s comments and encouraged his former teammate to gain some perspective.
“It’s a touchy situation. I think Geno’s taking it a little too personally. This is just business, man. This is just how it goes and you can’t worry about the personal interactions there, because it’s all about business,” Durant said.
“Ed is trying to build his team. When Ed was a GM and I saw him at a game against Edmonton, he really wouldn’t say much, but if I saw him out and about throughout the city or something like that, he would come up to you and speak. That’s just how business goes and that’s just how Ed conducts himself. I don’t think it’s a big deal at all.”
Lewis signed with the Ottawa Redblacks in free agency after spending the last two seasons in Edmonton. In a radio interview following his signing, the 31-year-old claimed that Hervey never contacted him to discuss a new contract after taking over as Elks GM, despite making strident public comments about the inflated price of his previous deal. The situation left Lewis feeling degraded and disrespected, later comparing himself to Ja’Marr Chase and saying that it was “not smart” to treat a superstar in that manner.
Despite feeling that Lewis was being sensitive, Durant agreed it was “shocking” that Hervey never called and defended the receiver against accusations that his comments were egotistical.
“I’m 50/50 with what Geno was saying there. I agree that he’s a top player in this league and just out of respect, give him a call, let him know that you’re not interested in bringing him back for him to go and pursue opportunities around the league. I’m with him on that,” the former Rider QB said.
“It did come across a little cocky, but that’s just Geno. If you’ve been around Geno, you know. You have to be that way as a receiver. You have to be full of yourself, you have to be full of confidence, and you have to hold yourself to the highest level of competitiveness. Me knowing him personally, it doesn’t really shock me but if you don’t really know him, then it could come across very harsh.”
The disagreement kicked off at the CFL’s winter meetings in January when Hervey delivered an impassioned rant to reporters stating that he would not pay a receiver close to what Lewis had received from the team’s previous administration. He acknowledged that he did not know the four-time all-star personally and had not had a conversation with him, promising to let the market set an appropriate price before beginning any discussions.
Lewis was the highest-paid receiver in the league during both of his seasons in Edmonton, earning $320,000 in 2024. He stated that he was open to taking a pay cut to stay with Elks but that one was never offered, leading him to join Ottawa for $97,000 less than what he made last season.
“I understand Ed’s perspective as well. Ed feels like, ‘Look, you’re a high-paid wide receiver. We’re not going to bring you back at that price,'” Durant remarked. “I’m pretty sure Ed spoke to his agent, maybe not to Geno directly, but he got word from his agent that Geno wasn’t interested in taking a pay cut or playing for a certain number that Ed had in his mind that the top receivers should make.”
The shots back and forth should settle down with free agency in the rear-view, but Lewis’ hurt feelings will add intrigue to any matchups between the Elks and Redblacks for the foreseeable future. The two teams will clash for the first time in Week 5, with Geno making his return to Edmonton on Sunday, July 6.
