Stampeders forward Rene Paredes confirms he will play next year

Calgary Stampeders forward Rene Paredes usually takes time during the off-season to decide if he wants to return for next season – but not this time.

Paredes made a decision: he will return for another year. This is a good thing for Stampeders fans because Paredes has been a model of consistency throughout his career.

The 39-year-old has made just over 93 percent of his field goals this season. He scored 41 out of 44 and says he still feels great.

“I had a great year,” Paredes said.

“I’m still very angry about the two posts I had this year. I think I hit four this year, which is crazy. The two extra points were extra and I wish I could take them back because I could have been 100 percent this year.

“My body feels pretty good right now and I’m really happy about it, so I’m going into the offseason healthy.”

Stamps in decline

As good as Paredes’ year has been, the same cannot be said for the team. The Stamps finished the year with a 5-11-1 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Paredes has been here in both good and bad ways, and he says the Stumps have actually been in decline over the last five years.

“We haven’t won a playoff game since 2018,” he said.

“We haven’t had a home playoff game since 2018 and the last two years we barely made the playoffs and that didn’t happen this year, so it’s hard for me to say, but we’re declining as an organization. “

If you don’t win, changes will be made, and the first of them happened on Wednesday.

Assistant coach and special teams coordinator Mark Kilam, defensive coordinator Brent Monson and defensive line coach Juwan Simpson were shown the door.

Paredes knows there will be more changes.

“When you go 5-12 (5-11-1) or whatever we are, everything changes. It’s not for me to decide, but I love this city and this organization, and I hope something good comes out of this,” he said.