The waiting game: Jeremy O'Day, Roughriders GM job in limbo

There is a long road ahead and plenty of uncertainty for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Riders are the CFL club with the most off-season work to be done in terms of fixing a team that won only three games in 2015.

But the organizational hands are tied until the decision makers are put in place. The team still has to hire a head coach, but that can't be done until they name a general manager.

You could say Jeremy O'Day has one foot in the door as the interim general manager, but his unknown status also creates problems.

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"The tough part right now is to restrain the excitement of potentially being the GM, while trying to stay focus on things that need to happen at the end of the season now," O'Day said.

During the interview process, he knows he will have to take some of the blame for the team's poor performance this year.

"We understand there has to be some differences in philosophy moving forward," O'Day said. "I would also like to hope that I was also part of the 2013 team that was able to win a Grey Cup."

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Riders president Craig Reynolds will address the media on Thursday to provide more detail on the process of hiring of a full time general manager.

Until then, O'Day will continue to make a case for himself.

"I've put a lot of time in to put myself in position to be general manager," he said. "I would hope I would be given a good opportunity, a fair opportunity at least. I do have confidence in Craig and the board of directors that they would do the best thing for the organization."

Riders re-sign 5 Canadians, including Moose Jaw product

While the general manager job is up for grabs, O'Day isn't wasting his time with the interim position.

On Tuesday, the Riders re-signed five Canadian players, including Moose Jaw defensive lineman Levi Steinhauer.

The 24-year-old Steinhauer only played three games this year before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Saskatchewan also re-signed linebackers Nathan Kanya and Kyle Norris, offensive lineman Matt Vonk, and fullback Carl Fitzgerald. All five players were set to become free agents in February 2016.

Of all the returning players, Fitzgerald saw the most game action this season, playing in 13 games.

Vonk, a 25-year-old from the University of Waterloo, drafted in 2013, and played in nine games as a back offensive lineman.