Saskatchewan Roughriders’ QB Jake Maier contemplates pivotal decision

Photo: Andrew Mahon/CFL.

Saskatchewan Roughriders’ pending free agent Jake Maier does not want to force being a starting quarterback in 2026.

“It really depends. I’ve learned over the last few years that you wanna surround yourself with good people, you wanna surround yourself with people that genuinely care about you and are gonna be in your corner supporting you every step of the way. My priorities have definitely shifted more towards that. Obviously, you wanna play, you wanna compete, you work really hard for a reason,” Maier said. 

“You wanna be able to make sure that the stars align in multiple ways. Not, ‘Hey, how can I get on the field?’ But, ‘How can I be surrounded by the people that I enjoy coming to work with every day so that you keep yourself in a good headspace and you continue to grow?’ It’s a combination of the two to tell you the truth. I don’t think you can lean one way or the other. My goal is to try to find the middle ground.”

Maier was acquired by the Riders through a trade in December 2024 and signed a one-year contract extension last January to back-up Trevor Harris. He dressed all 18 regular-season games for Saskatchewan, starting two, while completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 617 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The six-foot, 200-pound QB produced a 1-1 win-loss record, but it’s worth noting he did not finish his Week 20 start against Winnipeg as Jack Coan entered in the fourth quarter.

“There’s no greater teacher than experience of being out on the field. Staying ready and doing what I could for the team this year was something that I focused on. I feel like I’ve definitely grown as a person. The next opportunity that comes my way, I’ll be super grateful for it,” Maier said. 

There’s not currently an obvious starting quarterback vacancy in the nine-team league. One could come open at any moment, however, which has caused the 28-year-old to be undecided about whether he would turn down an opportunity to start elsewhere for a chance to take a run at back-to-back Grey Cups with the Riders, presuming Harris re-signs as the team’s QB1.

“Honestly, I have no answer to that. I’m sure there’ll be something that’ll be presented to me. I don’t know the answer. I think you try to find a good relationship between the two things that I mentioned to you. Regardless of what happens, I’ll be super grateful either way,” Maier said. 

Despite uncertainty regarding the Fullerton, Calif. native’s future, Maier remains steadfast in his praise for Saskatchewan offensive coordinator Marc Mueller. Mueller was with the Calgary Stampeders as the team’s quarterbacks coach when Maier signed his first CFL contract in 2020.

“Marc Mueller is one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever been around. He’s somebody that doesn’t leave a stone unturned. He’s a great communicator. He’s someone that genuinely has your back. He’s somebody that’s gonna try to give you as much information as he can,” Maier said. 

“That’s all you can ask for in pro sports when it comes to your coordinator and your position coach — that they’re all in, they’re committed, the hardest-working guy in the building. Over the years, I’ve seen coach Mueller progress to where he is now, he’s a championship coordinator, and eventually, he’ll be something even bigger.”

The Roughriders enter the offseason with 45 pending free agents and Maier sits among that extensive group with an expiring contract.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders finished first in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 12-6 record, finishing first in the West Division for the first time since 2019. The team went on to defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, marking the team’s first championship in 12 years. Trevor Harris went 11-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

The Roughriders ranked second in net offence, second in net defence, and tied for third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was A.J. Ouellette with 1,222 yards, leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and leading tackler was A.J. Allen with 91 tackles. Saskatchewan finished second in attendance with average crowds of 28,427, which was a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year.