Futures of Reilly, Maas with Eskimos up in the air after missing playoffs

Reilly, 33, who surpassed 5,000 yards passing for a third straight season, his sixth with the Eskimos, has options, including a potential return to the B.C. Lions, where former Eskimos general manager, Ed Hervey, is in charge.

“The main thing is winning championships,” Reilly said. “Again, there’s financials that are involved. We all play this game because we get paid and that’s how we support our families, of course.

“My biggest concern, and what I’ve always wanted to do from the time I started playing this game was win, win a lot and win a lot of championships. I believe we have pieces in place in place to do that here, but there are changes and tweaks that we have to make.

“Again, it’s hard for me to really say. I was out on that field 24 hours ago trying to win a football game, so I haven’t given it enough thought yet, but, again, I have plenty of time to do that.”

It was Hervey who brought Reilly to Edmonton from B.C. in 2013 and made him the starter. They won a Grey Cup together in 2015. Hervey was fired by the Eskimos in April 2017 and replaced by Brock Sunderland. Hervey was hired by the Lions the following November.

“I’ve already started talking to Mike,” Sunderland said. “There’s been offers made. I know this — Mike is very well aware of what we think of him and how badly we would like him here.”

While there’s been speculation regarding the future of head coach and offensive coordinator Jason Maas, Sunderland denied that he might have “lost” the dressing room. Maas is signed through 2020 on an extension inked by Sunderland.

“I think he’s a head coach that the players like and love, and play hard for,” Sunderland said. “I think yesterday was a very good indication of that, of players continuing to play at a full level for him.

“I don’t think at any stage he came close to losing this team. Again, we’re going through exit interviews, so if that’s not the case, that’s what this process is for.”

Maas is 31-23 through three seasons. He guided the Eskimos to the Western Final in 2017, losing to Calgary 32-28.

“I want to be back, obviously,” Maas said. “I signed on to be here, to be coach and want to see it through. Beyond that, I don’t want to worry about it. I’ll let the guys who are going to make those decisions, make them.”

But Maas understands that when a team misses the playoffs, questions come as part of the deal.

“That’s what happens in pro sports when you don’t live up to expectations as a team,” Maas said. “I get that. I signed up for pro sports. I understand that.”

Sunderland also denied reports that circulated last week that he had put out feelers to gauge interest from coaches around the league about replacing Maas, calling them “completely false” and “baseless.”

Robin Brownlee, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Futures of Reilly, Maas with Eskimos up in the air after missing playoffs

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