As the 2018 season is about to begin on the field, the Edmonton Eskimos declared the 2017 season a financial success on Tuesday.
The Eskimos’ Annual General Meeting took place in the dressing room at Commonwealth Stadium and it was declared that despite an absurd amount of injuries in the 2017 season, the Green and Gold still finished in the black.
A profit of $431,638 was announced by club treasurer Janice Agrios.
Salaries are a very big part of the Eskimos’ expenses, but in 2017, that went to another level with a record amount of injuries that saw the club pay over a million dollars to players that were on the six-game injured list.
“The six-game injury list cost us $1.1 million compared to $410,000 last year, so that’s a net change of $700,000” said Eskimos president and CEO Len Rhodes.
The Eskimos also had a good year on the field, going 12 and 6 and advancing to a conference final for the fourth year in a row. The on-field product translated into two big football announcements — both general manager and vice-president of football Brock Sunderland and head coach Jason Maas have been given contract extensions.
Listen below: Contract extensions announced by Eskimos
Sunderland was very appreciative of the extension announced at the AGM.
“It means everything. When you have the support of the people above you and their full confidence and the backing of the organization, it gives you all the confidence in the world,” he said, adding that it was a natural to extend Maas as well.
“In two years, only one person has won more games than Jason Maas. He has been to back-to-back division finals and did it last year while enduring a league record of injuries.”
Both the coach and GM are under contract through the 2020 CFL season, and Maas is happy to continue the work he started in 2016.
“We’ve been talking for the last couple of months,” he said. “I’m very thankful and grateful to the organization to present that to me. I’m also thankful that Brock got his extension. That shows that the organization believes in the direction that we are going and what we believe in and what it takes to win a championship, I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
The GM and coach are locked up long-term and the next domino to fall for the Eskimos’ future should be the quarterback. Mike Reilly is entering the final year of his contract and Sunderland says talks are underway on an extension
Listen below: Brock Sunderland on his contract extension
“There has been communication. We want Mike here and we believe he wants to be here.” said Sunderland, who feels there will be an outside factor to deal with in these negotiations. “The CBA is going to play a big part of it and right now, that’s a huge point of emphasis that’s hindering some negotiations on all levels.”
The collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players’ association is set to expire at the end of the 2018 season.
The Eskimos open training camp on May 19 and the first pre-season game is set for May 27 on the Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Listen below: Jason Maas on his contract extension