2027 SMS increase

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

A couple of things
The minimum salary also goes up each year, something like 5000 for '27, doesn't sound like a lot but if it impacts 15 players per team that's 75k of the 100k increase

secondly in every league when the salary cap does go up significantly it is never spread out. The top players rake it in (ie Celebrini in the nhl with 20mil contract). In this case its the qbs that are the biggest impact players in the cfl)

Hopefully qb salary reset attracts more of the potential decent qbs south of the border who are not heading this way hoping for a shot at a practice roster spot in the nfl.

It's logical for the CFL to take a totally different approach than the other professional leagues that pay their players multi-million dollar salaries.  The CFL can't compete at that level so they should make it a good place for any football player that can't make the NFL to earn a reasonable amount of money and extend their playing careers after college. Chances are they would attract more players with a $100k ELC than the handful that would come in pursuit of $1 million.

[Tecno]

Will a $500K raise for Kelly change his performance?

No, but it will keep him walking to the other team down the road to win games for them instead!

Supply & demand.

I don't know whether it will attract more talented players. They still largely will be on ELC's and not become instant stars. It will mean more will be available when and if they succeed at a higher level.

Of course it will.  Before this increase a QB would look at the CFL only as a way to get film to get into the NFL.  Now they will look it like that AND that they will earn enough money to rival a #4-#5 PR spot on an NFL team.  And it will also keep the good ones here when all they are offered is #5 PR in the NFL.  And it might even stop some wasting their time doing tryouts down south a la N.Rourke and just concentrating on being the best here and making $1M a year (minus half to the gov).

As for them sitting on ELC: every single young QB stud who comes up here thinks they are the best and will light it up and be an instant star.  They may see the ELC thing as only a 1 year impediment before they get paid the big bucks.

[Blue In BC]

No, but it will keep him walking to the other team down the road to win games for them instead!

Supply & demand.

Of course it will.  Before this increase a QB would look at the CFL only as a way to get film to get into the NFL.  Now they will look it like that AND that they will earn enough money to rival a #4-#5 PR spot on an NFL team.  And it will also keep the good ones here when all they are offered is #5 PR in the NFL.  And it might even stop some wasting their time doing tryouts down south a la N.Rourke and just concentrating on being the best here and making $1M a year (minus half to the gov).

As for them sitting on ELC: every single young QB stud who comes up here thinks they are the best and will light it up and be an instant star.  They may see the ELC thing as only a 1 year impediment before they get paid the big bucks.

SMS has gone up every season. No reason to think this is the tipping point that changes that dynamic. Who are those new 2026 QB's that got a larger ELC and a chance to show enough to get an NFL TC offer?

ELC is a minimum and nothing prevents a team from offering more money to a top QB talent. Regardless whether he earns $75K of $150K, chances are he gets little playing time to show NFL recruiters.

As far as other players, the CFL has never had a problem signing 50 rookies to come to TC. Their other options a USFL or the coach.

Every off season we see 6 - 12 CFL players get some sort of NFL option year tryout. Not all are 1st year players and few actually land even an NFL AR roster spot.
Where is K. Cline now?

Bombers have 6 rookie imports on the roster at the moment. Williams might draw some attention but will he be interested and be lost to the team?

As far as Kelly. Nothing stopped him from waiting for free agency to get as much or more elsewhere. Supply and demand doesn't change with higher SMS.

[Jesse]

SMS has gone up every season. No reason to think this is the tipping point that changes that dynamic. Who are those new 2026 QB's that got a larger ELC and a chance to show enough to get an NFL TC offer?

ELC is a minimum and nothing prevents a team from offering more money to a top QB talent. Regardless whether he earns $75K of $150K, chances are he gets little playing time to show NFL recruiters.

I think we're operating from a place of ignorance here. Just because the ELC is in place, doesn't mean all rookies coming in are on an ELC. Certain players are paid more in order to come north and more SMS gives GMs more ability to do so, especially at the QB position.

You mention that the CFL never has a problem bringing in a new crop of rookies every year..which is true in part...but how many guys rot on the neg list for years and never come up? For many, many players, it simply isn't worth their time and that's what an increased SMS can change. However, th reality is that the superstars will get the bulk of the increase. That's the way it has always been, that's the way it will always be.

We're just not aware of instances of this happening because everything is such a big secret in the CFL.

[Tecno]

BINBC, my point isn't that many are getting NFL looks, my point is that every young rookie comes up here THINKING their CFL film will get THEM an NFL look. And that is the driver. Well, was, because maybe now we can pay the good ones at least NFL PR money to stay.

You're forgetting what it's like to be young and be good at something. You think you're the best! It's young male human nature. It really doesn't matter what reality is. Not until later.

[Blue In BC]

I think we're operating from a place of ignorance here. Just because the ELC is in place, doesn't mean all rookies coming in are on an ELC. Certain players are paid more in order to come north and more SMS gives GMs more ability to do so, especially at the QB position.

You mention that the CFL never has a problem bringing in a new crop of rookies every year..which is true in part...but how many guys rot on the neg list for years and never come up? For many, many players, it simply isn't worth their time and that's what an increased SMS can change. However, th reality is that the superstars will get the bulk of the increase. That's the way it has always been, that's the way it will always be.

We're just not aware of instances of this happening because everything is such a big secret in the CFL.

We can't compete with NFL money even if we double the minimum ELC. We can't even compete with the USFL with their shorter season, US $ and playing at home.

Diego Pavia is an example of that. 

The NFL drafts about 250 players every season. Many more are added to PR's that weren't drafted.  The rest can choose the USFL or CFL or deciding to not continue their football careers.

The USFL does reduce the CFL pool somewhat but many of those players are former NFL players trying to extend their careers or those that had that shot and failed. Perkins as USFL MVP as an example and he's our short yardage QB..

The CFL brings is a few USFL former players each TC that hope to continue playing. None that I can of that end up back in the NFL as a result.

Look at  the CFL players that get those NFL option year chances and mostly return.  How many stuck this year that were in the CFL last year? Has there ever been a season that hit double digits making an NFL roster.

Yes it is a supply demand situation. The number of graduating US college players eligible to be drafted out weighs those that are looked at from the CFL.

[Blue In BC]

BINBC, my point isn't that many are getting NFL looks, my point is that every young rookie comes up here THINKING their CFL film will get THEM an NFL look. And that is the driver. Well, was, because maybe now we can pay the good ones at least NFL PR money to stay.

You're forgetting what it's like to be young and be good at something. You think you're the best! It's young male human nature. It really doesn't matter what reality is. Not until later.

Even NFL PR money is more than we'll ever pay rookies, even the " good ones ". 

You even pointed out that it's not the money that makes them come north, it's the opportunity they might get to show the NFL something.

A rookie has to make a roster to even have the slightest chance.

Bomber rookie imports that became starters year 1: Elsbury, Singer, Perkins, Fletcher, Reese and Williams.

A number of top 1st year players like Vaval last year get and NFL option deal and don't even get an NFL PR deal. That's the norm.

I get that every player thinks he'll become an NFL regular. It's not the reality.

I disagree that we can convince the " better " rookies to come north for another $25K-$50K or we'd be seeing that happening already. SMS went up $400K last year.

Perkins might be getting more than the minimum ELC because he's not a pure rookie. I can't imagine the other newbies got more or where influenced by " more ".

Name one you think where that was true. When we see the Unofficial roster it lists SMS and contract duration. I'd go as far as saying I've never seen a rookie listed with any number ( since likely ELC ) or marginal increase.

Regardless of the increase to the SMS, others have pointed out that it almost always goes to the top veteran players. It's not going to the unproven rookies we tried to entice to the CFL by offering more money.

[Tecno]

I was talking purely qbs. The fact that if they decide to stay and they are great they can now earn a million is a huge incentive to come north. You now have the NFL film aspect PLUS the incentive of finally a real payday even if they must stay here.

[Jesse]

We can't compete with NFL money even if we double the minimum ELC. We can't even compete with the USFL with their shorter season, US $ and playing at home.

We're not competing with the NFL, we're competing with post-football careers. Are we able to offer them enough to take the shot out here?

[Tecno]

Yes we are competing with NFL money now... For qbs. You're showing guys who are 3rd thru 6th qb on an NFL roster that you can possibly get a million up north.

That's massive compared to the 400 to 500k joke that qbs maxed out at 3 years ago.

This new money would have impacted guys like N.Rourke. They won't play the NFL pr carousel as long anymore.

[Blue In BC]

I was talking purely qbs. The fact that if they decide to stay and they are great they can now earn a million is a huge incentive to come north. You now have the NFL film aspect PLUS the incentive of finally a real payday even if they must stay here.

The CFL has had QB's come to Canada with NFL experience and fallen on their faces. Rookie QB's in particular are lucky if they make a CFL roster and even see the field in their 1st couple of seasons.

We agree to disagree that we're going to see a better crop of QB's because we're going to pay them more than in the past.

It's a giant jump in faith caused by Kelly getting a $1M.

[Jesse]

The CFL has had QB's come to Canada with NFL experience and fallen on their faces. Rookie QB's in particular are lucky if they make a CFL roster and even see the field in their 1st couple of seasons.

We agree to disagree that we're going to see a better crop of QB's because we're going to pay them more than in the past.

Whether QBs have success once they are here or not is a whole different thing.

The question is whether we can convince guys who would have said "no" before, to say "yes" for a different amount of money. Then hopefully we see a higher percentage of QBs having success. But that depends on a whole other set of variables.

[Blue In BC]

Whether QBs have success once they are here or not is a whole different thing.

The question is whether we can convince guys who would have said "no" before, to say "yes" for a different amount of money. Then hopefully we see a higher percentage of QBs having success. But that depends on a whole other set of variables.

I understand the premise. I disagree that it's a factor or that we'll any change. I pointed out that others pointed out the big slice of any increase goes to the veterans, not the rookies.

Hard to believe that a rookie with NFL aspirations thinks oh good I can earn $1M in Canada by coming north.

We'll see how much SMS goes up and how many newbie QB's across the CFL make rosters and whether we view them as " better " than previous rookies. It's still a revolving door.

By this premise we should be able to find a better QB than Perkins because we're offering more money.  There will be other QB's looked at and a couple brought to TC.

Let's see how that works out in 2027 and whether we think some extra cash was a factor.

[Jesse]

By this premise we should be able to find a better QB than Perkins because we're offering more money.  There will be other QB's looked at and a couple brought to TC.

Let's see how that works out in 2027 and whether we think some extra cash was a factor.

I think the hope is that we have 5 guys who are willing to come up and we get to choose our favourite 2 - as opposed to taking the only 2 willing to come.

I don't know if we'll be able to see the results unless GMs talk about how their off season negotiations go.

[Blue In BC]

I think the hope is that we have 5 guys who are willing to come up and we get to choose our favourite 2 - as opposed to taking the only 2 willing to come.

I don't know if we'll be able to see the results unless GMs talk about how their off season negotiations go.

TC roster size is limited. Teams don't generally go into the main TC with more than 5. In regard to the Bombers we have 4 on the current roster.

We only see 3 returning, so that means only 2 possible spots for newbies in the main TC. If they decide they want to stick with Perkins, then we may only see 1 newbie competing. It's just a guess on how many players we look at in tryout camps. I'd guess that most rookies in TC are those that are signed during the off season. The number of players added from the try out camps is a lesser number overall.

Keep in mind that this group of candidates is paying $100 to get a chance to make a roster.

Reps are limited for everybody when there are 100 players in the early going. Veterans don't often see much activity in pre-season. I don't think we ever had more than 5 QB's on our roster going into TC.

It's always tough for all rookies and one small early injury in TC can rule out a player quickly.