Riders fans have been waiting a decade for a hero QB. Is Trevor Harris the guy?
It was Nov. 26, 2013.
Large trucks paraded through the streets of Regina carrying members of the 2013 Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders. Two days prior, the Roughriders had defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 45-23 to clinch the franchise's fourth championship.
When the flatbed truck carrying quarterback Darian Durant reached its destination at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building, Durant walked toward the middle of the bed and looked out at the crowd of people.
He spread his arms, revealing a hoodie that read "Beast Mode."
A fan handed Durant a giant Rider flag. He waved it over his head like a conquering hero.
More fans surged toward the truck and Durant reached down to his adoring public. The people were eager to touch the man who had cemented himself as Rider royalty.
Flash forward to now, more than a decade later, and the Riders haven't been able to replicate that success or that level of sustained devotion for a quarterback.
Since Durant was traded to Montreal following the 2016 season, the Riders have cycled through many quarterbacks: Kevin Glenn, Zach Collaros, Brandon Bridge and Cody Fajardo.
Two names in particular stand out on that list: Collaros and Fajardo.
After frequent injuries, Collaros was dealt to the Toronto Argonauts in July 2019 and replaced by Fajardo.
While Fajardo used "Sprinkles of Jesus" to lead the Riders to a first-place finish in the west in 2019, Collaros found his way to Winnipeg and helped lead the rival Blue Bombers on a resurgence.
In a cruel twist of fate, the two teams would meet in the west final in consecutive seasons.
Unfortunately for Rider Nation, Collaros was victorious both times and went to lead the Bombers to back-to-back Grey Cup wins.
Fajardo would take a similar