Longtime NFL quarterback P.J. Walker is still relatively new to the Canadian Football League but he feels prepared to handle the waggle heading into his first training camp with the Calgary Stampeders.
“I got used to (the waggle this offseason). I trained with a couple guys this offseason and made them guys waggle. They probably hated me for that, but it was something I needed and I’m glad I’m here to be able to just feel the rhythm of everybody running it and to get the cadence down, I think that’s the most important part, so I’m gonna just keep working,” Walker told the media in Calgary.
“(Three-down football is) different but I’ve spent all offseason just working it. I put a lot of time in this offseason, just trying to train my mind and my body to get the flow of things. It’s different but with the right preparation, you should be able to adjust quick.”
The 30-year-old passer joined Calgary’s practice roster last October after his rights were acquired from the Toronto Argonauts in a trade, giving him his first real taste of three-down football. He continued practicing the Canadian game throughout the winter in an effort to be ready for 2025, which included a couple of impromptu throwing sessions with Bo Levi Mitchell in South Carolina.
“Being able to pick (Mitchell’s) brain was awesome — to understand how he saw the game and to get the rhythm and see how he threw the ball — that was most important, to see the ball come out his hand. It helped me get a little more confidence with that,” said Walker. “He said (Calgary) was a great place. He loved it, he was here for a long time and he has some great memories here.”
Walker has a legitimate NFL resume, having played 21 career regular-season games as a member of the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns. He went 5-4 as a starter, recorded 2,135 passing yards, six touchdowns, and 16 interceptions, and ran 31 times for 80 yards.
The five-foot-eleven, 215-pound passer’s standing with the Stampeders has changed from when he first joined their roster. Originally thought to be a potential day-one starter in 2025, Calgary’s offseason trade for Vernon Adams Jr. made it clear that Walker will have to start his tenure in Cowtown on the bench.
Walker doesn’t seem upset by the presence of Adams, suggesting that the competition in Calgary’s quarterback room will help make everyone better.
“I think we’ve got a great group and I think all the guys are there to compete at a high level. I think we all bring it every day, and I think that’s the most important part, is the competitive part of the room. If one person lacks something, we’re always there to pick them up and answer a question for them. Those small little things help all of us get better, day in and day out,” said Walker.
“I think competition is everything. Competition is king and when you come out here and you compete every day, it brings the best out of every player, so for me it’s just come out here and compete at a high level. I’ve got a you vs. you mentality, so it’s me versus myself and I’m going out here to compete.”
The Stampeders will open their preseason on Monday, May 19 against the B.C. Lions.
