For Saskatchewan Roughriders long snapper Mike Benson, the offseason is not only about football. At 39, and headed toward free agency after earning West Division All-CFL recognition, he is considering what comes next with the daily realities of family life firmly in view.
The Roughriders' season ended with a 33-26 loss to the B.C. Lions in the West Division semifinal. The defeat shifted attention to the months ahead, when more than two dozen Saskatchewan players will face decisions about whether they will return, move elsewhere or step away from the CFL.
Benson is among those players whose football future remains unsettled. He still wants to play, but his time with Saskatchewan has required a separation from the home and support network he had built in Winnipeg. His partner, Chantal, and their five-year-old son stayed there while Benson joined the Roughriders.
That arrangement made it possible for him to continue his career, but it also meant missing the ordinary moments that can be easy to overlook when home is only a short trip away. Benson said the question of where he plays next cannot be separated from the people waiting for him away from the field.
“The number one key factor is family.”
A season measured in missed moments
The distance became especially clear when Benson's son played his first hockey game on a Sunday. The boy later called his father on FaceTime to report how the game had gone, sharing that he had been named the most valuable player in the Timbits program and had scored several goals.
For Benson, the conversation was both a proud family moment and a reminder of what he had been unable to experience in person. He said he plans to coach his son when he returns, and the boy already has an answer for what he wants first from his father.
“The first thing he asked was, ‘When are you coming on the ice to coach?’”
The exchange captures the kind of decision Benson is now facing. A football contract may determine where he works, but it also affects where he lives, how often he can be home and whether he can participate in the small routines that shape a child's early years.
Winnipeg remains the family centre
Benson spent five seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before joining Saskatchewan. That earlier arrangement allowed him to remain close to his partner and son, while also keeping him near their extended families, who live in Winnipeg.
He described the difference between the two situations in practical terms. With the Bombers, his workday ended with a return to his own home. With the Roughriders, his football commitment has required him to live away from the household his family shares in Winnipeg.
The change has been an adjustment for everyone. Benson acknowledged that the ability to finish work and return home had become something he relied on without necessarily recognizing its value. The current season has made that value more apparent.
The work behind a player staying away
Professional football schedules place visible demands on the athlete, but Benson said the arrangement would be much harder without Chantal's support. She has continued to manage the household and their son's busy schedule while also working full time.
That work is largely outside the stadium and away from game coverage, yet it is central to the family's ability to manage a season apart. Benson credited Chantal with making his time in Saskatchewan possible, recognizing that the sacrifice has not been his alone.
- Mike Benson: Saskatchewan Roughriders long snapper and pending CFL free agent.
- 2026 recognition: West Division All-CFL honours.
- Family home: Winnipeg, where his partner, son and extended families live.
- Recent family milestone: His son's first hockey game.
Benson's situation is familiar to athletes whose careers require travel or relocation, but the details are personal: a young child asking when his father will be on the ice, a partner carrying household responsibilities, and a player trying to decide how much distance his professional ambitions should require.
The football side of the calculation still matters. Benson has made clear that he wants to continue playing, and his All-CFL recognition shows that he remains valued within the league. But the end of Saskatchewan's season has brought the choice into sharper focus, with no game left to postpone it.
For now, Benson's next team is unknown. What is clear is the standard he will use to judge the options. After a season spent away from his family, the possibility of returning to a home routine — including time at the rink coaching his son — has become central to the decision.
