Durant signs ... footballs, but no contract yet
BREAKING NEWS: There was a Darian Durant signing on Tuesday.
A few dozen souvenir footballs were passed around the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ dressing room. Durant and his teammates autographed every one of them, for distribution to fans and good causes.
“Did anyone try to slip a contract underneath one of the footballs?” I inquired.
“I wish,” Durant said with a chuckle.
It was a lighthearted moment in what has become a Tuesday ritual. Following the Roughriders’ first practice of the week, the media typically converges upon the CFL team’s marquee player and poses contractual questions.
The most recent scrum began when CBC’s Glenn Reid said: “So this is a stadium question, not a contract question.”
“But it’s going to lead to a contract question,” Durant said, knowingly.
The Roughriders are preparing for their final game in old Mosaic Stadium — Saturday’s clash with the B.C. Lions. This seasoned observer hopes that it isn’t the home finale for Durant as a Roughrider.
That sentiment is widely shared, judging by the feedback received at this cluttered desk. Hence the incessant questions.
Some of them were follow-ups to a quote that Durant uttered on Friday: “We will hoist that trophy again before I walk out of town. You can mark that down.”
The comment raised eyebrows, not to mention expectations. Considering that the 5-11 Roughriders have already been eliminated from contention for the 2016 playoffs, any elevating of the Grey Cup would have to take place in a future season. So, was the quote — which was also posted on Durant’s Facebook page — a signal that he was on the verge of signing?
“Let me clear that up,” Durant said on Tuesday. “If I am here, which I want to be, then you’d best believe that we will hoist that Grey Cup trophy again before my career is over.”
“That quote’s way less interesting,” CJME’s Arielle Zerr remarked.
“I wish I could give you something a little bit more interesting, but right now we’re just going through the process,” Durant said. “We’re definitely in talks and hopefully we can get this thing worked out.”
Durant was then asked if talks were proceeding in the right direction. “For sure,” he responded. Roughriders head coach, general manager and vice-president of football operations Chris Jones left a similar impression.
“Things are moving along at a very good pace and we should know something soon,” he said.
Jones also noted that “things are moving well and I fully expect to get something done.”
Is there a timetable? “I don’t want to pigeonhole myself, because as soon as I do, you guys will be asking me more questions,” Jones said. “I just know the talks are going really well and we fully expect to get something done.”
Comparably, Durant is not establishing any deadlines.
“There’s no timetable on it, but I want to get it done as soon as possible,” he replied. “Hopefully they feel the same way and we can speed up this process.”
After all, Durant would like to see the new Mosaic Stadium — from the inside.
“I won’t go,” he stated. “I’m waiting. I will not set foot in that stadium.” Not until a new deal is done. “I talk to Robbie (Bagg) about it and to the guys who have been here for a while, but a lot of that stadium comes from the success that we had during our tenure,’’ said Durant, who has quarterbacked the Roughriders in three Grey Cup games, including the victorious home-field effort of 2013.
“I would hate to put in all that work and not get rewarded and (not) be able to play over there. I’m just staying away until it’s signed on the dotted line.”
To be continued next Tuesday ...