riders-durant-oct12

Darian Durant

Saskatchewan Roughrider General Manager Brendan Taman announced today the team has agreed to terms with quarterback Darian Durant and offensive lineman Chris Best to contract extensions. The contracts will keep Durant and Best with the club through the 2014 season. Financial details were not released.

Durant (5’11 – 214) is entering his seventh season with the Green & White after joining the team in 2006. The 29-year-old South Carolina native earned the Riders starting quarterback job in the 2009 season and currently sits third on the club’s All-Time record list in passing attempts (1,824), completions (1,107) and passing yards (14,679). The University of North Carolina graduate also sits fourth on the All-Time record list with 74 career touchdown passes.

“We’re extremely happy to have come to an agreement on terms with Darian,” stated G.M Brendan Taman. “The CFL is a quarterback driven league, and Darian has proven he can lead this team. This extension allows us to move forward with Darian as our starting quarterback and achieve the ultimate goal of bringing another Grey Cup back to Saskatchewan.”

Best (6’4 – 315) originally joined the Riders after being selected by the club in the first round (4th overall) of the 2005 CFL Draft and is entering his sixth season with the Roughriders. The 29-year-old Calgary native has been the Riders starting right guard since the 2009 season, and was the Rider’s nominee for Most Outstanding offensive lineman during the 2011 season.

“Chris is one of the best up and coming offensive lineman in the league,” said Taman. “He had a great season last year and keeping him under contract for the future was big priority for us.”