The Toronto Argonauts announced today that the team has signed international quarterback Ricky Ray to a one-year contract extension through the 2018 season.
“Ricky Ray will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the CFL, but we are thrilled he’s not done adding to his historic career just yet,” Argos General Manager Jim Popp. “We are very excited to welcome him back for another season in the Double Blue.”
Ray, 38, has played in 233 career regular-season games across 15 professional seasons in the CFL. In 2017, the veteran pivot started 17 games for the Argos and once again re-wrote the team’s record book.
Already the owner of the all-time mark for pass completions, he set new franchise records for career passing yards (19,898), pass attempts (2,422), and passing touchdowns (114) while maintaining the team’s highest career completion percentage (71.1%). The 6-3, 214-pound native of Happy Camp, California, also set a new single-season record for pass completions (474) while posting the second-highest single-season yardage total (5,546) and third-highest attempts total (668). In a Week 5 win over the Ottawa Redblacks, Ray completed 40-of-55 pass attempts to set new single-game records in both categories for an Argos quarterback.
Ray, a three-time CFL All-Star, was named the East Division’s Most Outstanding Player for the third time in 2017 and was honoured as a divisional All-Star for the fourth time. His season was book-ended with CFL Top Performer of the Week honours in Week 1 and Week 20.
In November, Ray completed 19-of-32 pass attempts for 297 yards and a 100-yard touchdown – the longest offensive touchdown in Grey Cup history – in a come-from-behind win over the Calgary Stampeders. He became the first quarterback in CFL history to win four Grey Cups as a starter, winning his second championship with the Argos (2012, 2017) after previously winning two with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2003 and 2005.
Ray was originally acquired by the Argos on December 12, 2011, in a trade with the Edmonton Eskimos which saw QB Steven Jyles, K Grant Shaw and a first-round CFL Draft pick head West.
Since the trade, he has suited up for 70 games in Double Blue, completing 1,723-of-2,422 pass attempts for 19,898 yards and 114 touchdowns. He ranks second in CFL history with 4,942 pass completions, fourth in league history with 60,429 passing yards, and fifth all-time with 324 passing touchdowns.
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