Free agent quarterback Blake Sims has agreed to a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, CFL sources confirm.
Saskatchewan made the move to bring in a quarterback after Kevin Glenn suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 5 that landed him on the six-game injured list. That injury came after the Riders lost No. 1 pivot Darian Durant for the season to a torn Achilles in Week 1.
Sims was on the BC Lions neg list before eventually landing with the Toronto Argonauts, but he was cut by Toronto in training camp earlier this year.
During Sims’ senior season at Alabama he completed 252 of 391 passes (64.5 completion percentage) for 3,487 yards and 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. The dual-threat quarterback added 83 carries for 350 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Alabama went 11-1 during the regular season and that put them in the Southeastern Conference Championship game where Sims threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns to earn SEC title game MVP honours in a 42-13 win against Missouri.
The 23-year-old rookie joins a Riders quarterback mix that includes fellow first-year CFLer Brett Smith, who is slated to start against Edmonton in Week 6, Tino Sunseri and Keith Price on the practice squad.
