For much of last season, Trevor Harris spent more time imagining what Saskatchewan’s offence could look like than actually seeing it. Injuries never allowed the Roughriders’ top receiving options to truly settle in together. One receiver would return, another would go down. Roles shifted weekly, and continuity never fully arrived.
Now, after opening the season with their receiving corps intact, Harris believes the ceiling for Saskatchewan’s offence may only be starting to come into view.
“I’ve tried to tell people we’re a step ahead,” Harris said Tuesday. “But it’s going to be on us to make sure that we’re performing every week. It’s not just because we’re out there — we’re good. We’ve got to make sure that we’re on it each and every week.”
That confidence comes from finally seeing what Saskatchewan’s offence can look like with Kian Schaffer-Baker, Samuel Emilus and KeeSean Johnson available at the same time. And for Harris, this isn’t simply about talent; it’s about availability.
“Not even week one,” Harris said when reflecting on last season’s injury issues. “Shafe got hurt on the second play of the season, right? And then Sam got hurt. From there, it was no more than two of them healthy at the same time.”
Even during Saskatchewan’s Grey Cup run, Harris pointed out the group never truly reached full strength.
“During the Grey Cup, Shafe was hobbled. Dante was hobbled.”
Now healthy entering the new season, Harris sees opportunity, but also responsibility.
“The fact that we’ve got all three of those guys healthy and they’re playing football the way that they are, I’ve just got to make sure that I’m on time getting the ball to the right spot.”
Then Harris offered perhaps the simplest description of his role in an offence loaded with playmakers.
“Just trying to be the mailman.”
Deliver the football. Let the receivers do the rest. That philosophy showed up throughout Saskatchewan’s season-opening win over B.C., where Harris looked comfortable working through reads and operating with patience inside the pocket.
The veteran quarterback credited the offensive line for creating those opportunities.
“They’re awesome, and they do a tremendous job,” Harris said. “When I tell them in the huddle, ‘Hey, I might need an extra click here, guys,’ they do.”
Harris smiled, adding that his appreciation might eventually show up off the field.
“They’ll be getting some dinners this year.”
The extra protection allowed Harris to play the game the way he believes football is meant to be played, mentally. Throughout the offseason, Harris repeatedly discussed growth beyond physical preparation, and Tuesday, he doubled down on that philosophy.
“Well, like I was trying to tell people, playing the game of football is at minimum half mental,” Harris said. “And if we’re being honest with ourselves, it’s more than 50 percent mental. There’s a lot of mental warfare that goes into it.”
Harris believes quarterback play and football as a whole are determined long before the snap.
“If you’re not training the mental side, then I think you’re behind the eight ball.”
He believes that development never stops.
“As soon as you stop ascending mentally, you’re a deteriorating asset.”
That mindset was visible late in Saskatchewan’s opener. When B.C. scored late and gave the Riders one final possession, Harris said panic never entered the equation.
“This team kind of has the mindset, when they scored with that amount of time left, I was kind of like, ‘OK, good.’ We got them right where we want them.”
Instead of forcing the moment, Harris leaned on the approach he says has carried him throughout his career.
“You get to go onto the field with an opportunity to win the game and just go out and execute one play at a time.”
The encouraging part for Saskatchewan may be that Harris believes the offence hasn’t come close to peaking. Asked what the ceiling could be for the receiving group if everyone stays healthy, Harris acknowledged he has internal expectations that remain private.
“I’ve got the bar set pretty high for those three. And I think that we can ascend higher. There’s no question about it.”
He also made it clear that success won’t rest solely on the star trio.
“We’ve got to make sure they stay on the other receivers because we’re going to need big games from Dhel (Duncan-Busby) and Jaylen (Johnson) and the likes of those other guys as well this year.”
Among the receiving group, Harris reserved especially high praise for Schaffer-Baker. After injuries limited his impact last season, Harris believes people may have forgotten what the Saskatchewan native can become.
“The guys on the other team know. A lot of times, the media can forget.”
Then Harris went a step further.
“Kian Schaffer-Baker is an all-star player. One day, I think he could be a Hall of Fame wide receiver. He’s one of one.”
With Calgary up next, Harris expects another challenge against what he called a complete defensive group.
“They have a very, very good defensive line. Their linebackers are very active. Their DBs are all tied together with their front.”
He expects the Stampeders to show new wrinkles, and Saskatchewan plans to do the same.
“It’s going to be a heavyweight fight.”
But if Harris is right about the potential of this offence, the Roughriders may finally be entering a season where the conversation shifts from what they could be to what they actually become.
