Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
TORONTO — He’s the only Canadian quarterback in the CFL with a guaranteed job right now and Saskatchewan Roughrider Brandon Bridge is just fine with that.
Last year, Bridge and former Calgary Stampeder Andrew Buckley were leading the charge for Canadian pivots in the league, both being used regularly in their respective team’s offences.
But with Buckley announcing his retirement from football to pursue a medical degree, Bridge is now the last man standing.
“I’m by myself now and that’s fine,” Bridge told James Cybulski on this week’s episode of The Waggle presented by Sport Clips.
“Robin didn’t always hang around with Batman. Batman had to do some stuff by himself. I’ll just be out here trying to get this rule change and hopefully open the doors. Now, (I’m) hoping Noah Picton can be the next one in line and crack the roster and try to follow in my footsteps and lead the charge.”
Episode 108: Camps Open, Johnny Arrives + Brandon Bridge’s Canadian QB Debate
After months of discussion and debate, Johnny Manziel has finally landed in the CFL and the guys break down his arrival and what it could mean for the Ticats and the league. Later, Riders QB Brandon Bridge talks about being a Canadian QB in the CFL and why he’s campaigning for the position to be included in the ratio.
Picton, 2016’s Hec Crighton winner, signed with the Toronto Argonauts earlier in May, just two weeks after he went undrafted in the 2018 CFL Draft.
With Picton’s abundance of talent – last season he played and started eight regular season games, completing 207 of 301 passing attempts (the highest percentage in Canada West and the second-highest in the country) for 2,491 yards and 10 touchdowns – he could be the next quarterback with a Canadian passport to play in the CFL. For now, however, he’ll sit back and learn from the best, like Ricky Ray, James Franklin and the rest of the members of the Argonauts’ quarterback room.
While he waits to see Picton’s path in the league, Bridge is looking to continue the success he found in 2017.
Bridge played in all 18 regular season games last year and completed 92 of 138 for 1,236 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed 20 times for 127 yards and a major score. While he only started one game, he stepped in for Kevin Glenn numerous times during the final stretch of the season taking meaningful snaps in important games.
Will Noah Picton make a CFL roster and join Bridge as a Canadian quarterback in the league? (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)
Perhaps the best moment of his campaign last year was when he almost led the Riders to a comeback win over the Toronto Argonauts in the Eastern Semi-Final, throwing 141 yards and a touchdown in that contest.
“Every time I got in (to a game) we were either down or we were in a hostile environment,” he said. “Either I did my best to bring them back and possibly win the game or at least make a game out of it.”
The Riders brought in Zach Collaros during the off-season as the incumbent starter, but Bridge says he’s still optimistic that he could be the guy to take the starting role in Riderville.
“I think the Riders know what I can do,” said Bridge, explaining how he still feels like he could take the starting role under centre. “I’m just out here trying to put my best foot forward. I’m sure coach Jones would definitely not be hesitant to put me in at any point in time as he wasn’t last year so I don’t see what the difference would be this year. I have a lot more experience, a lot more confidence, an off-season under my belt. I’m only going to get better.”
For more of Cybulski’s conversation with Brandon Bridge, and insights and analysis about the rest of the league including Johnny Manziel, listen to the latest episode of the Waggle.
