Toronto Argonauts put James Wilder Jr.’s resolve to the test

Toronto Argonauts show the mentality of a champion by reportedly offering to pay James Wilder Jr. more money, but it comes with a catch.

We reported last month that James Wilder Jr. was planning to sit out the 2018 CFL season. A major part of his reasoning came down to the lack of financial security being offered by the Toronto Argonauts.

From Wilder’s perspective, the Argonauts were apparently unwilling to re-negotiate his contract to reflect his value to the team. As per 3downnation.com, he said:

"“I wish it could be different. I don’t want to put my football dreams aside but as the father of four, playing for $56,000 Canadian (about $45,000 USD) without any protection from career-ending injury isn’t enough to give my family comfort.”"

Given Wilder’s comments, the latest developments will test how much resolve he has. According to TSN’s Dave Naylor, the Double Blue are offering a new deal to make him one of the highest-paid running backs in the CFL.

However, the offer comes with a catch. As part of the new contract, the 25-year-old will be asked to play an extra year, thus committing him to the Argos through the 2019 season.

In theory, if more financial security is indeed the name of the game for Wilder, it should be a no-brainer for him to sign the contract extension. However, the reality isn’t quite so straightforward.

The 2017 CFL Most Outstanding Rookie harbors understandable dreams of playing in the NFL. Signing the revised deal would make him 27 before he gets another chance to pursue this ambition.

In addition, as noted by Naylor, Wilder recently claimed the team had broken a promise to let him out of his contract after one season, to try for the NFL. General manager Jim Popp and his predecessor Jim Barker deny any such promise was ever made.

In some respects there’s a level of sympathy for Wilder, with the Argos saying they won’t release him early. However, you can argue he signed a contract agreeing to play for the 2017 and 2018 CFL seasons; why sign it if he knew he wanted to chase his NFL dream after just one year?

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Essentially, the Tampa, Florida native wanted the best of both worlds. Either get to play two season in the CFL or leave if he had an excellent 2017 and drew interest from the NFL, which is what has happened.

Wilder was fantastic for the Argonauts, rushing for 872 yards at 7.1 yards per carry. Add 533 through the air, and he totaled 1,405 yards in 17 games (including 10 starts), along with five touchdowns.

Ultimately, what is the 2017 Grey Cup winner’s main priority here? If it’s about looking after his family, then sign the contract extension from the Toronto Argonauts and get the extra money he said they originally weren’t willing to negotiate with him.

However, if Wilder really does desire another shot at NFL glory, then he has to put his family in that uncomfortable position he said he doesn’t want to. And given he failed in his first two attempts to succeed in the NFL, there’s no guarantee he will do any better after sitting out the 2018 CFL season.

Next: CFL All-Star T.J. Heath returns to Toronto

What do you predict Wilder will do? Will he accept the Argos’ improved offer, or continue to hold out and pursue his NFL dream after the 2018 CFL season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.