Toronto Argonauts: 5 questions ahead of the 2018 season
By Paul Taylor
1) What should we expect from Ricky Ray’s final season?
Ray had the chance to walk off into the sunset (or snowstorm) after last season. And if he had done, no one would have blamed him.
Certainly, retiring after winning a championship would have been the ideal ending. So, what prompted the 38-year-old to return, considering he now has the most Grey Cup wins by a quarterback in CFL history?
It’s an intriguing question, when you include Ray’s standing on the statistical passing board. Even with another excellent campaign, the highest he is likely to move up in any of the major categories is second place for all-time completions; not exactly the ‘sexiest’ of stats.
The three-time CFL All-Star gave some insight into his thinking, after announcing in February that he would return for one final season. As reported at the time by Dave Pollard of the Toronto Sun, he said:
"“(Retirement) definitely was on my mind. I knew really early on last year that I wanted to come back and play, but this year it just took me a bit more time. I was kind of back and forth a little bit, but in the end I still have it. “I still have that desire to come back and play and try to help this team. It was just a feeling in my gut and when I had the feeling, you just know deep down.”"
A lot of professional athletes admit they have a tough time walking away, given there’s (usually) no turning back. The flip side to this is attempting to still play when you’re past your best.
However, it’s fair to say Ray looked as good as ever last season. This was evidenced by throwing for the second-most passing yards and touchdowns of his 15-year CFL career.
The 2005 Grey Cup MVP appeared rejuvenated under the tutelage Marc Trestman. And with CFL legend Anthony Calvillo joining the coaching staff, this can only further help him.
At this juncture, there’s no telling for sure if Ray will excel again, or confirm he should have retired after last year. However, we’re more than confident in predicting the former as things stand.