'One more year': Stampeders kicker Rene Paredes confirms he'll be back for another season

Calgary Stampeders kicker Rene Paredes speaks with members of the media on Oct. 30, 2024. (CTV News)

Calgary Stampeders kicker Rene Paredes usually takes time in the off-season to decide whether he wants to come back for another season – a but not this time around.

Paredes has made up his mind, he’s coming back for another year. For Stampeders fans, that’s a great thing because Paredes has been the model of consistency throughout his career.

The 39 year old was just over 93 per cent in field goals made this season. He hit 41 of 44 and says he still feels great.

“I had a great year,” Paredes said.

“I’m still pretty pissed off at those two posts that I had this year. I think I hit four this year, which is insane. Two were extra points and I wish I could take those back because I could’ve gone 100 per cent this year.

“My body feels pretty good right now, so pretty happy about that as well, so I’m going into the off-season healthy.”

Stamps on the decline

As good of a year it was for Paredes, the same can’t 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 for the good and the bad, and he says the Stamps have actually been on the decline for the last five years.

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

“We haven’t had a home game in the playoffs since 2018, and the last two years we barely made the playoffs, and this year we didn’t, so it’s tough for me to say but we’ve been declining as an organization.”

When you’re not winning, changes will be made, and the first of those came on Wednesday.

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

Paredes knows there will be more changes.

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