Bo Levi Mitchell’s 27th birthday is a shade over two weeks away.

With he and wife Madison soon to become parents, he’s already guaranteed the best possible present a fella could ask for.

But as an early, pre-cake-and-candles-and-rattles-and-diapers gift for his cornerstone quarterback, Calgary Stampeders’ GM John Hufnagel came up with a keeper: Marquay McDaniel for two more years.

“A pretty good start to my day,’’ reported Mitchell. “I was right in the middle of my workout when I heard. A little extra motivator, for sure.

“No secret how much I wanted Quay back.

“The first text I got from him today was a bit, uh … explicit. It read: ‘Hey, now let’s go win this ——ing thing in Ottawa.’

“I was pretty pumped about that.”

Marquay McDaniel and Bo Levi Mitchell during a game in Winnipeg on July 21, 2016 (Photo by Canadian Press//John Woods)

Bo and Quay.

They just kinda go together.

Like Kahlua and milk. Yogi Berra and Don Larsen. White wine and fish.

Between the stripes, slotback McDaniel acts as Mitchell’s compass, his rudder, his failsafe, his accident/fire/theft insurance policy.

He is to the CFL’s reigning MOP what that trusty blue security blanket is to Linus in the Peanuts comic strip.

And now they get to play pitch-and-catch through 2018, at least, McDaniel avoiding Tuesday’s free-agency deadline by agreeing on a deal to remain at McMahon Stadium.

“When I didn’t sign in December, me, personally, I thought I was gonna hit free agency,’’ admits McDaniel, from his off-season base in Dallas.

“I didn’t think anything would get done.

“I know there weren’t a lot of talks in January. A couple weeks ago talks started again. That made me cautiously optimistic.

“When I left at the end of January, I didn’t feel like it was over yet, honestly. I said before I left I wanted to be in Calgary.

“The love of the fans has always been there. From Day One. You just kinda fall in love with Calgary from every angle.

“You just want what you think you’re worth.

“I think everyone in the organization understood my value. But you never know, right?”

McDaniel’s value to the has never been in question. Three times over 1,000 yards. Three years the team’s most prolific receiver. When No. 16 went down with a shoulder injury near the end of the first quarter of the Grey Cup tilt at BMO Field in late November, Mitchell and head coach Dave Dickenson both admitted the QB lost his comfort zone.

“Bo,’’ McDaniel laughed, “has been on the phone every other day. I saw Dave when I worked his camp a couple weeks ago. They know I’m not a ‘me’ guy. I don’t complain when I don’t get the ball five, six times a game. They know what kind of numbers I’d put up if I got more targets, which would help me out on the business side.

“I’m just glad we got something finalized.”

Receivers Kamar Jorden and Marquay McDaniel celebrate during the 2016 Western Final (Photo by David Moll)

Budding star DaVaris Daniels might possess M.J. hang-time grace to go along with a great Twitter handle (@SincerelyToot), and Kamar Jordan been outfitted with the Lamborghini wheels, but McDaniel – make no mistake – is the glue stick holding it all together.

“I think,’’ says Mitchell, “if you talk to K.J. and DaVaris, he’s a guy they look up to. A guy I look up to. We all look up to. And respect a lot.

“He’s been a team player for year. When Nik (Lewis) left, we needed someone to fill that void. Quay’s not a vocal guy but he stepped into the role.

“Was I worried? Absolutely. There were times I didn’t think there was a chance we were getting him back.

“So it’s great that he and Huff came to an understanding, agreed on something that Quay feels comfortable playing for and something Huff feels comfortable paying the guy.

“I’m just glad to have him back, man.”

“Football-wise,’’ said McDaniel of the negotiation process, “the relationship with my teammates, coaching staff, the fans …all of that’s great.

“But at the end of the day, football is still a business. My business hasn’t always been good, for whatever reason.

“People always says it’s a business and never personal but when it comes down to actually doing the business, it can become personal.

“I know what I bring to the table on a game-in and game-out, year-in and year-out basis. I think they do, too. So I just wanted something that I thought was fair and a lot changed with the deal; some things moved around on our side that we’re happy about.

“It was good to see that.

“I just want to get back to playing football again.”

Receiver Marquay McDaniel during a game against Ottawa on Sept. 17, 2016 (Photo by David Moll)

Yes, playing. McDaniel’s injury, the heartbreak of the 39-33 OT loss to the Ottawa Redblacks, remain fresh in the imagination of everyone in this town.

“That’s what you work all off-season for, to get to that point, that game, get that chance,’’ McDaniel sighed. “Then to have a big play and get hurt on that play … I’m not saying if I’d played the whole game that we would’ve won.

“I still had faith in my guys.

“Sometimes things just aren’t meant to be. That’s the way I approached free agency.

“Whatever path I was supposed to take, that’s what would happen.”

The path ahead for a redemption-propelled Stampeder crew is pointed directly towards TD Place Stadium at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa on Nov. 26.

As the, uh, explicit text that brightened Bo Levi Mitchell’s morning reinforced.

“For me, for all of us, it’s unfinished business,’’ said McDaniel. “I hope everyone has a bad taste in their mouth. I know I do. It hurt, what happened to us.

“In our organization, it’s Grey Cup or Bust every year.

“But this year, there’s extra incentive. And I’m just glad to be part of it.”