Zach Collaros expects to be the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ starting quarterback. If he isn’t, the CFL team may as well cut him.
Heading into his seventh season, Collaros was acquired from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and signed a renegotiated contract that only slightly reduced his salary, reportedly into the lower-$400,000 range. Collaros joined the Roughriders after they re-signed last year’s backup quarterback, Brandon Bridge, for about half that amount.
Roughriders boss Chris Jones insists Bridge will get an opportunity to earn the starter’s job. For his part, Bridge is coming off a season where he proved he deserves a look-see, so he’s going to give it his best shot. But even for the wealthy Roughriders, it’s not logical to pay the backup quarterback twice as much as the starter. It’s not economically viable.
Saskatchewan’s training camp starts Sunday. The regular season starts June 15, when a healthy Collaros should start earning his money.