Bishop Signs on for Longer Tour

The Toronto Argonauts Football Club is pleased to announce that QB Michael Bishop has extended his contract with the team through 2009.

Bishop remarked, “I am looking forward to playing, working hard and having fun for years to come.  My goal is to go out there on every play and be the leader and playmaker that I know I can be.  It feels good to be a part of something great and with the talent around me, all I have to do is go out and make plays”.

Bishop re-joined the Boatmen mid-way through last season and was an integral part of the Argonauts advancing to the East Championship.  The Kansas State product came off the bench in the Argos East Semi-Final game versus Winnipeg and immediately threw two touchdown passes to help catapult the Double Blue over the Bombers in one of the most thrilling come-from-behind victories in recent Argo memory.  He also came off the bench the following week in Montreal, where he passed for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

Argos’ General Manager/Vice President, Football Operations Adam Rita commented, “We are ecstatic to have Michael committed for that length of time.  He is going to come into training camp this year with the opportunity to win the starting quarterback job and regardless of where he is on the depth chart, he is dedicated to helping the team in any way he can”. 

Bishop originally joined the Argos in 2002 after stints with the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers of the NFL.  As an understudy to Damon Allen for the majority of his career, Bishop was thrust into the starting role for the better part of the second half of the 2004 season after Allen had succumbed to injury.  He led the Argos to a 4-3-1 record while at the helm and was a significant part of the club’s Grey Cup win over B.C.  Following the 2004 campaign, the 215-pound quarterback with unmatched arm strength, showcased his mobility with the Grand Rapids Rampage of the AFL where he shattered the league’s single season rushing record, tallying 459 yards on the ground.