VANCOUVER — BC Lions quarterback Jonathon Jennings has informed the team he will become a free agent, according to a report from Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal.
Jennings, 26, finished his fourth season with the team, throwing for 1,628 yards in 10 contests with eight touchowns and seven interceptions. He went into the season as the team’s starting quarterback but was replaced by Travis Lulay.
Free agency is slated to arrive in February.
Jonathan Jennings has told the #BCLions that he will hit the CFL free agent market. If Lulay retires, Lions looking at a whole new set of qb’s next year.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) November 27, 2018
The news comes nearly two months after reported tension between Jennings and Lions general manager Ed Hervey. In the report, Hervey questioned whether Jennings had the commitment to be a starting quarterback in the CFL, while Jennings fired back through his agent on Twitter.
The verdict is still out on Jennings’ future as a starting quarterback, but his age and potential should make him coveted on the open market. Jennings broke into the league in 2015 and quickly became a star, jumping over the injured Lulay on the depth chart and helping BC reach the Western Final in 2016.
In his first two seasons in the league, Jennings threw 42 touchdown passes against 25 interceptions, averaging an elite 9.4 yards per attempt. Over the last two years, however, he’s thrown more interceptions (26) than touchdowns (24), losing his starting job on multiple occasions.
Jennings’ landing spot will be one of many questions this off-season, with several star quarterbacks including Mike Reilly, Bo Levi Mitchell and Trevor Harris without a contract beyond 2018.
The Lions are coming off a resurgent season of sorts, erasing a 3-6 start to finish 9-9 and return to the post-season. They did not bow out of the playoffs gracefully, however, falling 48-8 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern Semi-Final as the crossover team.