Running back to Saskatchewan: Morrow signs extension with Riders

Questions abound with the Saskatchewan Roughriders when it comes to their offensive co-ordinator and their starting quarterback.

The answers to those questions apparently didn’t concern Jamal Morrow.

Rather than heading to free agency in February or even considering heading to a different league, the tailback has signed a one-year contract extension with the CFL’s Roughriders.

“Throughout my whole football career, loyalty was kind of where I stayed,” Morrow told reporters during a conference call Wednesday. “Even in high school, I didn’t want to transfer. (At) Washington State, I didn’t want to transfer.

“Being loyal to a certain team and to a place is always a big deal to me. As soon as J.O. (Saskatchewan general manager Jeremy O’Day) reached out, I didn’t think of going anywhere else.”

Morrow, a 27-year-old product of Menifee, Calif., appeared in 12 games with the Roughriders in 2022. He rushed 126 times for 666 yards and three touchdowns and caught 43 passes for 366 yards and another touchdown.

It was his first season as the team’s starting tailback.

The 5-foot-8, 205-pounder also returned 17 punts for 143 yards and 17 kickoffs for 358 yards. He was eighth in the CFL with 1,533 all-purpose yards.

But the future look of the Roughriders’ offence is unknown. It currently doesn’t have a co-ordinator (Jason Maas was fired Nov. 1) and the quarterback who had the reins for most of the season (Cody Fajardo) already has said he plans to hit the free-agent market in February.

That didn’t faze Morrow, and he hopes it doesn’t turn off other players who may be thinking about re-signing.

“Regardless of who’s at quarterback or who’s at offensive co-ordinator, Saskatchewan is just a place that you want to be,” Morrow said. “With the general fan base and what we have to offer facility-wise, I think there’s no other place you would want to play in the CFL.”

The Roughriders have been turned down by several potential co-ordinators since firing Maas, but one man who’s said to be a candidate is quite familiar with Morrow.

Kelly Jeffrey was Saskatchewan’s running backs coach last season and reportedly is being considered for the offensive co-ordinator’s job.

“We kind of developed a relationship throughout the whole season and I love his coaching style,” Morrow said. “He was a guy that kind of believed in us and believed in our running back room.

“In the room, we love him, and if he’s a candidate or maybe he takes the offensive co-ordinator position, it’ll be a huge success for this team … The way he breaks things down makes it very simple to understand. He definitely has the credentials to do it.”

Saskatchewan has 30 potential free agents remaining after announcing the re-signings of Morrow and defensive back Jordan Beaulieu.