The landscape of the Canadian Football League is being shaped this week as key decision-makers gather in Calgary for the annual CFL Winter Meetings. Among them are Saskatchewan Roughriders general manager Jeremy O'Day and head coach Corey Mace, who provided significant updates on the team's off-season direction during a virtual media availability.
CFL Winter Meetings: A Forum for League-Wide Strategy
The meetings, which include team presidents, general managers, head coaches, league personnel led by commissioner Stewart Johnston, and representatives from the CFL Players’ Association, serve as a critical planning session for the upcoming season and beyond. A wide array of topics is on the official agenda, ranging from potential additional rule changes following modifications announced last September to discussions on the overtime format, replay centre procedures, and the negotiation list system.
Other points for debate include guidelines for the 2028 Olympics, a potential adjusted playoff format, the free agency communication window, uniform branding, player awards, inclement weather planning, and enhancing transparency around player compensation. For first-year head coach Corey Mace, these discussions are a valuable opportunity to gauge opinions from across the league after having time to reflect on how recent changes will impact the game.
"Sometimes there’s things that come up that you didn’t think that you had too much of an opinion on, and then you realize, oh man, actually I do," Mace remarked. "So just excited to hear everybody’s brain, which is I think really cool about these environments, getting a little bit of piece of everybody’s thought process."
Roughriders Navigate Extensive Free Agent List
While engaging in league-wide discussions, General Manager Jeremy O'Day is simultaneously managing a substantial in-house challenge. The Roughriders entered the off-season with a daunting list of 44 pending free agents. Progress is being made, however, with the team securing 10 of those players to new contracts already.
Key re-signings include veteran quarterback Trevor Harris, promising receiver Samuel Emilus, and most recently, cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, whose extension was announced on Monday, January 5, 2026. O'Day emphasized that communication has been established with most players, though formal offers are still in process for some.
"We definitely don’t have everyone offered to, but I think we’ve communicated pretty much with everyone," O'Day explained. "It’s kind of more of a step-by-step process. Sometimes with negotiations, you can start them and they’re over in a couple days. And other ones, they take a little bit longer."
He confirmed that multiple offers are currently on the table and being negotiated, with more to be presented to remaining players in the coming days and weeks.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season
The winter meetings mark a pivotal point in the CFL calendar, setting the tone for the league's operational and competitive framework. For the Roughriders, the dual focus is clear: actively participate in shaping the league's future while aggressively managing their own roster reconstruction. The work done this week in Calgary by O'Day, Mace, and the rest of the Riders' brass will directly influence the team's strategy heading into free agency and the 2026 campaign, as they look to build on the foundation laid in Mace's first year at the helm.
