On Sunday, The Edmonton Elks traded veteran American quarterback Trevor Harris to the Montreal Alouettes for American defensive end Antonio Simmons.

The Elks added Harris to the trading block on Friday, and he was a healthy scratch from the team’s game against the Blue Bombers the same day.

When asked if the decision had something to do with anything off-field, General manager Brock Sunderland told reporters,

“It’s a football decision, we need better play at the quarterback position and we beleive we can get that from Taylor (Cornelius) and the combination of Dakota (Prukop) as well.”

When asked if he is still looking to win this season or if he is looking more to build for next year, Sunderland stated,

“Everything we’re doing right now is in attempt to win. Our focus is one hundred percent on our next game which is Hamilton, we want to win right now. Obviously, in my role I have to take a panoramic view of everything, so while we want to win now, which is one hundred percent the focus, I have to look long term as well.”

(View The Full Interview With GM Brock Sunderland Here)

Per Elks color analyst Dave Campbell, trade talks with the Alouettes began mid-week and intensified over the last 2 days. GM Brock Sunderland and head coach Jaime Elizondo started to discuss the possibility of moving on from Harris following the 30-3 loss to the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg. Moving forward, Edmonton will go with rookie Taylor Cornelius as the starter and Dakota Prukop as the backup, with a 3rd quarterback being brought in.

The Alouettes were in dire need of some help at the quarterback position after starter Vernon Adams Jr broke a bone in his left shoulder, potentially ending his season. Sitting in 2nd place of the East Division with a 5-4 record, Trevor Harris joins an Alouettes team that still has an excellent chance to make a playoff run.

Per TSN’s Dave Naylor, Trevor Harris should not be expected to go into Montreal as the immediate starter. While it could be possible for Harris to earn the job at some point, this is more about adding depth to the quarterback position.

Harris has played in the CFL since 2012, spending time with the Argo’s and the Redblacks before signing with Edmonton in 2019. In 6 games this season, Trevor Harris has completed 135/192 passes (70.31% comp) for 1,568 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. His last game for Edmonton was a 30-3 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on October 8th.

Antonio Simmons is in his 2nd season with the Alouettes, and In 5 games this season for Montreal, he’s recorded 7 defensive tackles and 2 sacks. Last season in 18 games, Simmons recorded 45 defensive tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.