Veteran Canadian Football League quarterback Jake Maier did not intend to leave Saskatchewan after winning the 112th Grey Cup with the Roughriders.
The 28-year-old loved his situation in the prairie province, loved the coaching staff and loved the offensive system. Jeremy O’Day, Corey Mace and Marc Mueller were constantly communicating with Maier throughout the offseason. He did not believe the Riders were telling him whatever was needed to entice him to re-sign.
“They were totally upfront and honest. This is what we have laid out for you, this is where we think you fit, this is the direction and what we’re thinking as an organization. The constant message was, ‘If you’re back here, we love you, we’ll take care of you — we’re all in. If not, we totally understand because we know what you have to do for you and your family,” Maier said.
“When you’re doing business with people, and that’s the message you’re getting from them, it actually makes it really difficult leaving those people because you know how genuine they are. I’ve got nothing but nice things to say; those guys were genuine and honest. It allowed me to make the decision.”
That choice came down to two options: stay in Saskatchewan or move to Ottawa. The Redblacks offered Maier a $35,000 hard money pay raise compared to his 2025 contract with the Roughriders. Ottawa vice president of football operations Shawn Burke, along with general manager and head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, made an aggressive pitch which helped tip the scales in the Redblacks favour.
“The Ottawa situation, with the deal that was presented and the dynamic that we’re going to walk into, it’s a situation that does take care of my family better. You get to certain stages of your career where that really does matter,” Maier said.
“The CFL, you really do consider it year-to-year, and you want to make sure that you set yourself up for those next 12 months appropriately. Those decisions, that’s really what they boil down to, especially with my daughter now and making sure that it’s worth it when dad leaves and goes and plays football.”
Maier and his wife, Amanda, drove or flew up with him during his first three years in the CFL. The couple lived together and were never separated for long periods of time. They became parents on October 19, 2023, when their daughter, Everly Marie, was born while he was playing for the Calgary Stampeders. His family dynamic changed in 2025 when he left his offseason home in Arizona for the three-down league season.
“Last year was the first go-around, ‘Dad’s going to go do his thing, go handle business and continue his dream plan.’ Amanda stayed back to do her schooling. We want to make sure life’s pretty normal and pretty easy for our daughter, she grows up around her grandparents, and she’s not being around different cities constantly. We’re trying to keep life as simple as we can for her,” Maier said.
The six-foot, 200-pound passer agreed it’s fair to say there was a financial factor that played a role in his final call to sign with the Redblacks. Ottawa made him the highest-paid backup QB in the CFL. He’ll earn $200,000 in hard money, including a $75,000 signing bonus. If Maier does take the field, he has $54,000 available in playtime incentives and $9,000 possible in statistical and award bonuses. That totals $263,000 maximum value for his one-year contract.
“Leaving Saskatchewan, not an easy decision, but where we’re going, the deal that they presented and how they want to see this thing fit, ultimately, it was way too good to pass up,” Maier said.
Potential for playing time played a factor. Trevor Harris missed one game due to a head injury last season and led the Riders to a CFL championship at age 39. Meanwhile, neck, hip, and knee injuries limited Dru Brown to nine starts with the Redblacks in 2025. Maier’s message from Burke and Dinwiddie was every team needs two quarterbacks who can win football games to be competitive over an entire season.
“The vibe I got being there: this is Trevor Harris’ football team. He deserves everything that’s come his way. Hopefully, he plays for a while, he continues to do his thing, stays healthy and feels good about playing ball still. If you try to crystal ball too much, ‘If I go here, I might increase my likelihood of getting on the field…’ I’ve really started to view the CFL as a year-to-year thing,” Maier said.
“As long as you come prepared, you show up, you put in the work, and you prove to your teammates and your coaches that you’re capable of being on the field, then the rest is out of your control. Being the best I can possibly be, Ottawa is going to get that for me. Whatever happens over the course of the season is going to happen; that’s going to run its course.”
In an ideal world, Maier won’t be needed much, if at all, by his new team in 2026. Ottawa plans to help Brown stay healthy and lead the team back to the postseason. However, if called upon, the Redblacks have a proven backup QB with 47 CFL starts to his name.
Ottawa was the CFL’s most active team in free agency, adding Maier, running back Greg Bell, offensive lineman Martez Ivey, defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado, linebacker A.J. Allen, strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis, and defensive back Demerio Houston. The team also had a few key departures, including quarterback Dustin Crum and return specialist DeVonte Dedmon to the Montreal Alouettes, and strong-side linebacker Adarius Pickett to the Toronto Argonauts.
The Redblacks hold the first overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7 p.m. ET. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on Sunday, May 10. Ottawa plays its first preseason game against the Alouettes on Friday, May 22 and first regular-season game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, June 6.
In 2025, the Redblacks finished fourth in the East Division standings with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Dinwiddie was hired as the team’s head coach and general manager after Bob Dyce was fired.
