Chad Kelly’s record-setting, five-year contract extension worth more than $5 million with the Toronto Argonauts might not have happened without a conversation in Saskatoon.
The attention-grabbing deal, signed earlier this week, was orchestrated by Kelly’s agent Chris Lambiris, who works in program development and player personnel for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. And it was chat with CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston at the Dogs’ Breakfast fundraiser in April that helped Lambiris better understand how to project the CFL’s salary cap in the years to come.
“You try and use your network and talk with people around the league,” Lambiris said in an interview with 3DownNation’s Justin Dunk. “You try and just gauge where (the cap is) going to be.”
Lambiris told the SportsCage last month that he designs on getting percentage-of-cap language – an annual escalator if the cap increased – written into Kelly’s new contract. He also wanted the quarterback’s compensation to count for at least 10 percent of the Argos’ cap.
Though he was unsuccessful on the former – the CFL wouldn’t allow it – he sure made good on the latter.
Lambiris is optimistic the CFL salary cap will soon be $8 million. Kelly will account for more than 10 percent of Toronto’s cap next season and would stay over that threshold even if Lambiris’ projection comes to fruition before the deal expires.
“That’s where I really feel all quarterbacks in the CFL should be,” Lambiris told Dunk. “That’s really where the push was to get this to a place where we think that salary cap will be in a couple of years.”
Kelly’s deal will no doubt cause a ripple effect for other players in the CFL.
“It’s good for the league,” CFL analyst Glen Suitor said Tuesday on the SportsCage. “It floats all boats a little bit higher.”
Added Kelly to Toronto reporters: “Me doing a five-year deal, I think this is an opportunity for guys to know that they can do it, too. This isn’t just what I want to be doing, setting a precedent. I think other guys are very well worthy of this opportunity as well – not only on our team but other teams.”
Star quarterbacks like Nathan Rourke and Davis Alexander may end up being the biggest beneficiaries. But since they’re signed until 2028, the more immediate winner could be former Saskatchewan Roughrider and current Edmonton Elks pivot Cody Fajardo.
Fajardo, 34, just completed the best regular season of his CFL career, setting personal bests with 4,788 passing yards and 25 touchdowns while leading the Elks to a West Division title. He was one of the lowest-paid quarterbacks this season. That’s bound to change.
“He set the league on fire this year – a dude who was willing to go be basically a graduate assistant at Nevada where he went to school (and) making next to no money to start a coaching career,” pundit Arash Madani said Tuesday on the SportsCage. “Suddenly, it’s like, ‘Wait a minute. If Chad’s going to make $1 million, can I get $700,000? Can I get $750,000?’”
Negotiations between Lambiris and the Argos were paused last month, but recent conversations between Kelly and general manager Michael (Pinball) Clemons reignited talks.
That was music to Lambiris’ ears as the Argos were motivated to get a deal done.
“The closer you get to free agency the price tag’s going to increase (for the team),” Lambiris said. “If you go to free agency, you know another team that needs a quarterback – like Ottawa or like other teams – are going to pay more.
“You don’t want to get into that negotiation with us where now you’re negotiating not just with us, but you’re negotiating with other CFL teams – and that’s going to drive the price up. They know you don’t want to get into the offseason. It was a benefit for them to speed up that process.”
