'All you can ask for,' Ford says of Elks contract extension

Edmonton Elks starting quarterback Tre Ford talks tomedia on Dec. 9, 2024, at Commonwealth Stadium about his three-year extension. (Matt Marshall / CTV News Edmonton)

Edmonton Elks quarterback Tre Ford believes the team is turning a corner and is excited to be leading the charge with a new contract.

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Speaking to media at Commonwealth Stadium for the first time since the team announced the two parties had agreed on a three-year extension, Ford on Monday called the opportunity a great honour.

"In professional football, nothing's guaranteed, right? You have to earn everything. So having the opportunity to come in and play is all you can ask for at the professional level," the 26-year-old from Niagara Falls, Ont., said.

The terms of Ford's contract have not been publicized.

Picked by Edmonton with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 Canadian Football League Draft, he spent the last three seasons with the team. The Elks finished the last season with a 7-11 record with Ford starting the team on and off.

On Monday, he acknowledged his inconsistent performance, but said the season overall helped his offensive game.

More importantly, he said he and the club are confident in each other.

"They see me as a quarterback, a franchise quarterback, that's going to go out there and execute at a high level and put our team in situations to win games… It's not my job to go be a superstar every single play and try to win the game myself, right? It's about being a general: dishing the ball out to the receivers, getting the running back, and just executing, keeping the offense running at a high level."

Of the Elks leadership, he added, "They're doing things the right way and I'm confident they're going to bring in the correct guys, talented guys that are capable of winning football games."

The Elks have swapped a number of high-level staff recently, including Chris Jones for Mark Kilam as head coach and Victor Cui for Chris Morris as president and CEO.

"A lot of that turnover happens when you lose, right? But I think we're in the situation where we're leaning more towards winning now," Ford said.

Kilam, who stood at a podium one week earlier to take questions about his own hiring, said, "It's no question that Trey puts a ton of pressure on every defense that he plays… He's going to be confident that the structure and the scheme that we put him in is going to accentuate his strengths. The players that are around him are going to fit into what we're doing and it's going to be a well-oiled unit all around."

With files from The Canadian Press