Riders release Kevin Glenn

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have released veteran international quarterback Kevin Glenn.

The team announced the move on Twitter early Thursday morning.

The news comes on the heels of a Wednesday trade to acquire former Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Zach Collaros.

Assistant vice-president Jeremy O’Day said after having some time to reflect on the needs of the team, it became clear that Glenn wasn’t part of them anymore.

“Once we make a decision to make a trade like we did yesterday there’s going to be some movement that we have to do on the roster so we had time to discuss that, develop a plan moving forward and then we came to the conclusion not to let that linger on in fairness to Kevin,” O’Day Thursday morning.

Glenn, 38, started his CFL career with the Roughriders back in 2001 and went on to play for almost every team in the CFL over the next 17 years, including three separate stints with the Riders. He briefly returned to the green and white as a backup to Darian Durant in 2015, before leaving again.

When the Riders released Durant, Glenn signed with the team in 2017, stepping into a murky situation with lingering questions about who the starter would be. In training camp the veteran won out and held on to the starting job above Canadian quarterback Brandon Bridge throughout the season. Glenn passed for 4,038 yards and 25 touchdowns.

O’Day said Glenn was understandably disappointed to get the news, adding that Glenn likes playing in Saskatchewan.

As a veteran, Glenn was often described as a leader on the team, and even a mentor to Bridge, and O’Day raved about how the veteran quarterback helped the team’s younger signal callers.

“Kevin did a great job with our younger guys, he had a younger room. That’s part of the reason why we signed him is to help develop those younger guys and bring them along and I think he did a great job. He’s a very team-oriented guy and a man,” O’Day said.

Many had speculated that Glenn may take on the recently vacated role of the Riders quarterbacks coach, but O’Day quashed that idea saying it went out the window when Glenn told them he wanted to continue playing.

O’Day did say they are currently interviewing candidates to replace Jarious Jackson, who took a job as the offensive coordinator in B.C.

Glenn had one year left on his two-year deal with the Roughriders at the time of his release. He is now free to sign with any other team in the league.