Riders – d559

Riders’ head coach Corey Mace wins 2025 CFL Coach of the Year award

Britton Gray — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:21:32 +0000

For the first time in his young coaching career, Corey Mace has been named the CFL’s Coach of the Year.

The announcement came at the league’s Coach of the Year celebration in Edmonton on Wednesday, ahead of the CFL combine. The other nominee was Montreal Alouettes head coach Jason Maas.

Read more:

Mace is the eighth Riders head coach to claim the award.

“It would be sweet for the organization,” Mace said in a media availability before the award ceremony. “A lot of things go into somebody accepting that award, and it’s not beyond me. It would just be another cool thing for the organization.”

Mace said there were many people who helped him reach this point in his coaching career.

“Ironically, there’s going to be a lot of people in that room that are a part of it as well. I can go all the way back to some coaches from my youth playing days that were instrumental for me to get to this point,” Mace said. “There are just so many people that are a part of that journey, so I’m grateful.”

Riders general manager Jeremy O’Day said what makes Mace special is his ability to relate to the players.

“Whether you’re a player from a farm in Alberta or from Los Angeles, he has the ability to communicate with all of our players,” O’Day said.

“Very motivational. He understands our players very well. He has been in a locker room before, but he has a good feel for what the players are going through. He cares about them. I think that’s the biggest thing. When you go into games, you feel like the players want to play for him as well as each other. That kind of makes all the difference.”

Mace also brings a lot of positive energy to the team, O’Day added.

“He’s fun to be around. He’s a fun guy and he’s fun to work with. He works hard, and it’s not surprising that he’s been successful,” he said.

In 2025, Mace guided the Riders to a 12-6 record and first place in the CFL for just the fifth time in the team’s history. He has a 21-14-1 regular-season record as a head coach since he took over the job in 2024.

The culture he has built in the locker room in his first seasons as the head coach has paid major dividends. This past season, the CFL club lead the league in fewest points allowed (346), fewest rushing yards allowed (76.0 per game), fewest yards per opposing rushing attempt (4.6), average time of possession (31:47) and average yards per kickoff return (24.9).

After winning the CFL West Final over the B.C. Lions, the Riders went on to win the Grey Cup 25-17 over the Alouettes, marking the fifth time championship win in the team’s history.

Mace has been the West Division nominee for the award in each of his first two seasons as a CFL head coach, losing out to Maas in last year’s voting.

The Riders also won the league’s inaugural Ted Goveia Football Operations Award. Named in honour of the long-time CFL executive who died last September, the award recognizes a CFL club’s football operations department for outstanding achievements in scouting, player identification, roster building and leadership.

The Riders’ football operations staff, led by O’Day, featured contributions from a lot of people as the team put together the roster for last season.

Other major contributors to the football operations department include assistant general manager and director of player personnel Kyle Carson, assistant general manager Paul Jones, director of football operations Jordan Greenly and assistant director of player personnel Larry Dean.

“I think it’s cool to be in the same building year-round, because you see it hands-on – the communication, the hours these guys put in, the amount of film they watch, the understanding of what it is for certain positions that coaches like or feel like can fit the system, on top of just saying, ‘Hey, we think you can turn this guy into somebody,'” Mace said.

“I’ve been in a few organizations throughout my coaching career, and it’s not a secret why I think the football ops are up for an award. They are excellent.”

The 2025 Roughrider squad led the league with nine All-CFL honourees: Jacob Brammer, Tevaughn Campbell, Logan Ferland, Jermarcus Hardrick, KeeSean Johnson, Micah Johnson, Rolan Milligan Jr., C.J. Reavis and Jameer Thurman.

The other nominees for the award were the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Riders’ top brass at CFL combine with eyes on 2026 season

Britton Gray — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:46:02 +0000

While the Saskatchewan Roughriders have enjoyed the spoils of 2025, the team’s focus is squarely on the upcoming season.

“That’s the reality of sport. You can’t sit there and love on it too long, because you have work to do,” said Riders head coach Corey Mace.

Read more:

“We’re hired to do a job here, and we’re all on to 2026.”

The Riders finished the 2025 CFL season with a 12-6 record – the best in the league – and went on to win the Grey Cup for just the fifth time in the team’s history.

Players and staff have been taking the Grey Cup around the province to celebrate the win. General manager Jeremy O’Day admitted it’s a occasionally challenge to remain focused on the present and future while surrounded by so many reminders of last year’s success.

“You work hard to get the trophy. Everyone works hard for it – our fan base, community, province deserve to see it and deserve to celebrate it,” O’Day said. “You’re trying to navigate where you’re focusing on the future, but also the importance of what we accomplished last year.

“The Grey Cup has been everywhere. Every time you turn your head, it’s somewhere else, or you’re at a function with it. I will say it never gets old seeing it at a function, for sure. In this role, you quickly turn the page and have to start focusing on 2026. It’s nice to hear the players are doing that as well. I think I saw Trevor (Harris) and AJ Ouellette in the gym two days after we won the Grey Cup, working out. You have to flip the page and understand it’s not like golf, where you carry over the next hole. You have to focus on the next season, so that’s what we are focusing on, but still proud of what we accomplished.”

Mace and O’Day, along with other scouts for the team, are at the CFL combine this week in Edmonton. The scouting showcase gives general managers and coaches an opportunity to see top CFL draft prospects take part in drills and interviews ahead of the league’s April draft. Mace is also up for the CFL’s coach of the year award, which is set to be awarded in Edmonton on Wednesday evening.

“In most cases, we’ve watched the player before we get to the combine. The combine is just going to be reassurance or, in some cases, a detriment to the player if they don’t test well or interview well. I think it’s a combination of both. You want to weigh heavily what you see on tape, but if the testing is not where it should be for a professional player, then I think that changes your opinion on them a little bit from the combine,” O’Day said.

A position that still needs some clarity around it is the long-snapper position, as Jorgen Hus hasn’t signed a new deal with the team.

“If Jorgen chooses not to play, we will be prepared for it,” O’Day said.

“We try not to get caught by surprise. Sometimes you’re a little late to hear the information, but there are reasons for that. We will be prepared. We will have somebody long-snapping for us this year. If it’s Jorgen, that’s great. If not, we will find the best guy available to fill that role.”

A spot Mace believes will be an open competition will be the defensive end spot opposite newly signed free agent James Vaughters.

“These guys work their tails off to bring a bunch of talented players to training camp, and that’s what you love about training camp,” Mace said.

“You go into training camp thinking you have this thing taken care of, and then somebody shows up and you’re like, ‘Well, this guy has to play for us.’ We have a laundry list of really talented defensive ends and, truthfully, it’s going to be up to them who is going to take that spot.”

O’Day said the team hasn’t reached out to any veteran CFL backup quarterbacks, indicating that the decision on who will be backing up Harris will come down to a competition between the quarterbacks they currently have under contract – Jack Coan, Tommy Stevens, Jordan McCloud and Brayden Schager.

One of the moves the team made this offseason was signing former NFL running back Darrell Henderson Jr. to a contract.

“We actually had a connection with Jermarcus Hardrick,” O’Day explained.

“I believe they are from the same hometown or went to the same school… That’s how the conversation got started. From there, it was communicating with him and seeing if we could work out a deal with him.”

Riders’ football operations finalists for CFL’s inaugural Ted Goveia Award

Britton Gray — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:48:36 +0000

After winning the Grey Cup and having nine players named All-CFLers, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are one of three finalists for the inaugural Ted Goveia Football Operations Award.

Named in honour of the long-time CFL executive who died last September, the award recognizes a CFL club’s football operations department for outstanding achievements in scouting, player identification, roster building and leadership.

Read more:

The Riders’ football operations staff, led by general manager Jeremy O’Day, featured contributions from a lot of people as the team put together the roster for last season.

The team finished at 12-6, which was the top record in the league. That record allowed the team to host the CFL West Final, where they defeated the B.C. Lions 24-21 to punch their ticket to the Grey Cup. Saskatchewan then defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in Winnipeg to win the Grey Cup for the fifth time in the team’s history.

The award winner is determined by a vote among the football operations departments of the nine CFL clubs. The winner, along with the winner of the CFL Coach of the Year Award, will be announced on Wednesday in Edmonton, with the awards coming right before the CFL combine, which takes place in Edmonton from March 27-29.

The Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats were the other two finalists for the operations award.

The Riders will look to defend their Grey Cup title in 2026, and have already brought back a number of key players from last year’s team, including quarterback Trevor Harris, running back A.J. Ouellette and defensive lineman Mike Rose.

The CFL Draft takes place on April 28, with CFL rookie camp starting on May 6. Main CFL camp opens on May 10.

Tickets for Roughriders’ preseason game in Saskatoon go on sale on April 7

Britton Gray — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:52:07 +0000

This spring, Saskatchewan Roughriders will play a game in Saskatoon for the first time since the ’90s.

Fans of the CFL club can purchase tickets for the May 23 preseason game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Griffiths Stadium starting at 10 a.m. on April 7.

Read more:

But while general sales start in April, season-ticket holders will get an early shot at attending the game. Season-ticket holders in the Saskatoon area can begin to purchase tickets for the game at 10 a.m. on March 18, with all other season-ticket holders able to start purchasing tickets at 10 a.m. on March 20.

Due to limited seating at the smaller venue, the Riders said each account will be limited to four tickets.

Fans will have the option of watching the game from the grandstands or a standing-only area. The grandstands are located on the east and west sides of the field and span from around 25-yard line to 25-yard line.

There are also large standing-room sections that fans will be able to freely move in during the game.

Fans will have the option of watching the game at Griffiths Stadium from the grandstands or a standing-only area. (Saskatchewan Roughriders)

With the preseason game tickets being sold separately, season-ticket holders have access to 10 regular-season games this year, as well as a possible playoff game with their tickets.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will come into the 2026 CFL season as the defending Grey Cup champions after beating the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in Winnipeg in November.

CFL rookie camp is set to begin on May 6, with training camps across the league set to open on May 10.

Saskatchewan Roughriders announce more stops on Grey Cup championship tour

CJME News — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:43:56 +0000

Rider fans will get plenty of opportunities to see the Grey Cup in person as the team’s championship tour of the province continues.

The tour launched on Feb. 7 in Humboldt, fulfilling a long-standing promise to that city, and 10 more stops were announced on Wednesday.

Read more:

“The Grey Cup will be accompanied by members of the 2025 Championship Team and/or Gainer the Gopher,” the team said in a statement.

The cup will be in Meadow Lake on Wednesday at the Saskatchewan Winter Games from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

On Thurs., Feb. 26, the tour will hit Assiniboia, giving fans a chance to see the cup and take photos at the Southland Co-op Centre from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

On Fri., Feb. 27, the cup will be at the Foam Lake Community Hall from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed on Sat., Feb. 28 by a stop at the winter festival in Fort Qu’Appelle from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

On Sun., March 1, the cup will make an appearance at TeleMiracle 50 at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Then, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. the tour will stop at Wanuskewin Heritage Park.

On Fri., March 6, Yorkton fans can see the cup at the Terriers game from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and on Sat., March 7, the cup will make an appearance at the Yorkton Tribal Council Powwow at 1 p.m.

Estevan Rider fans can see the cup at Affinity Place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sat., March 14, and the Grey Cup will be at Canada’s Farm Show in Regina from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thurs., March 19.

“Stay tuned – there are many more stops to come!” the Riders added.

Riders sign Super Bowl champ Darrell Henderson Jr., a former L.A. Rams running back

Britton Gray — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:37:47 +0000

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed a new running back who’s bringing plenty of NFL experience and a Super Bowl ring to the team.

On Friday, the Riders announced that American Darrell Henderson Jr. has signed a contract with the CFL club.

Read more:

The 28-year-old Henderson Jr. was selected in the third round (70th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He spent five seasons with the Rams, appearing in 54 games and starting in 32. The Batesville, Miss. product had 1,854 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns, along with 76 catches for 577 yards and four touchdowns. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams as they defeated the Cincinnatti Bengals 23-20 in 2022.

Before becoming a pro, Henderson Jr. starred at Memphis from 2016-18, recording 3,545 yards and 36 touchdowns. In 2018, he captured the Jim Brown Trophy as America’s top running back after rushing for 1,909 yards and 22 touchdowns.

He’ll join a running back room that includes the recently signed A.J. Ouellette.

The CFL rookie camp begins on May 6, with training camp opening on May 10.

Saskatchewan Roughriders sign wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland and kicker Jonathan Kim

CJME News — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:14:26 +0000

A pair of American players have been added to the Riders’ roster as the team looks to continue its winning ways in 2026.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders said American wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland is bringing four years of NFL experience with him as he joins the Green and White.

Read more:

“He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round, 252nd overall, of the 2020 NFL Draft. He went on to play three seasons (2020-22) with the Club, suiting up for 23 regular season games and registering eight receptions for 91 yards, and 10 kickoff returns for 234 yards,” the Roughriders explained in a statement.

“After the Broncos, Cleveland spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles (2023) and the Indianapolis Colts (2024).”

As a college player, the 28-year-old Cleveland suited up for 46 games as a Florida Gator over four seasons, catching 79 passes for 1,271 yards and eight touchdowns, with an average of 16.1 yards per catch. He also returned 10 kickoffs for a total of 242 yards and a touchdown, while also receiving accolades for his special teams performance.

New kicker signed

Meanwhile, after the release of long-serving kicker Brett Lauther this week, a new kicker is joining the Riders’ roster.

American kicker Jonathan Kim has signed with the Riders after a successful time at Michigan State. Last season, he signed with the Chicago Bears in the NFL as an undrafted free agent, joining the team for a portion of the 2025 training camp.

“As a senior at Michigan State in 2024, Kim made 19 of 21 field-goal attempts — a 90.5-per-cent accuracy rate — with the longest three-pointer being a 55-yarder,” the Riders said in a statement.

“He was 11-for-12 from 40 yards or more over the course of the season, with the lone miss being from 55. Kim also set a school record for field goals in a game (six) en route to being a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2024.”

The 24-year-old kicker set the record for the longest field goal at the University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium when he sent a 58-yard kick through the uprights on Sept. 30, 2023, the Riders noted, and he graduated as Michigan State’s all-time leader in field goal percentage after making an impressive 82.1 per cent of his three-point attempts.

Veteran linebacker Josh Woods leaves B.C. Lions to join Saskatchewan Roughriders

CJME News — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:00:14 +0000

Experienced American linebacker Josh Woods has signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders after spending the past five seasons as a B.C. Lion.

Over those five seasons, Woods appeared in 55 regular-season games, recording a total of 152 defensive tackles, 25 special teams tackles, three sacks, a pair of interceptions and one touchdown.

Read more:

Last season, Woods suited up for 14 games with B.C., starting as the weak-side linebacker 10 times. Over the course of the season he accumulated 65 total tackles, six tackles for a loss, a sack, a pass knockdown and a recovered fumble.

“Woods started both the Western Semi-Final and Western Final, notching 10 defensive tackles,” the Roughriders said in a statement.

Woods, who is originally from the community of Ontario, California, played at UCLA for five seasons between 2015 and 2019. During his collegiate career, Woods made 111 defensive tackles – 12 for a loss – along with six sacks, an interception, a deflected pass and two recovered fumbles.

“As a senior, he reached career highs in defensive tackles (51), tackles for loss (7) and sacks (5), while also recording his first interception,” the Riders added.

“For his efforts, he was named Second-Team All-Conference.”

Woods is not to be confused with the linebacker of the same name who plays for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL.

James Letcher Jr. joins Sask. Roughriders after three seasons in Montreal

CJME News — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 17:12:46 +0000

Speedy receiver and returner James Letcher Jr. is joining the Green and White.

On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders announced that Letcher Jr. has signed with the club after spending the past three seasons as a Montreal Allouette. In 2025, Letcher Jr. appeared in nine games for Montreal, returning 39 punts for a total of 428 yards. He also ran back 19 kickoffs for 476 yards and hauled in five receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Read more:

“The Kansas City native’s breakout year came in 2024, when he recorded 1,112 yards on 47 kickoff returns and 924 yards and a touchdown on 65 punt returns,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders said in a statement.

“He led the league in combined return yards and earned Montreal’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player nomination. Letcher Jr. also scored a touchdown on a missed field goal return and added three receptions for 17 yards and three rushes for 25 yards on offence.”

In 2023, his rookie season in the CFL, Letcher Jr. appeared in four games, returning 23 punts for a total of 392 yards and a touchdown. He also returned four kickoffs for a total of 92 yards and scored a 125-yard touchdown on a missed field goal return in a season that ended with a Grey Cup victory.

Before going pro, Letcher Jr. attended Washburn University, where he started in 31 games and appeared in 41. He was named an All-American in 2019, 2021 and 2022, and was named MAA Special Teams Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022.

“He holds several school records as a returner, including first all-time in receptions (228), all-purpose yards (5,623), and kickoff return touchdowns (three),” the Roughriders noted.

“All told, Letcher Jr. posted 228 career receptions for 2,992 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns on offence, while adding 68 kickoff returns for 1,678 yards and three touchdowns, along with 49 punt returns for 611 yards and two touchdowns.”

Kicker Brett Lauther released by Sask. Roughriders after eight seasons

CJME News — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:24:57 +0000

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are parting ways with kicker Brett Lauther.

The team announced on Monday that Lauther has been released after eight seasons, which saw him appear in 114 regular-season games and eight playoff games. In 2025, Lauther hit 1,000 career points (putting him third in the club’s history behind Dave Ridgway and Paul McCallum) and kicked the third-longest field goal in the Roughriders’ history by sending a 59-yard kick through the uprights.

Read more:

“Lauther went 10-for-10 on game-winning field-goal attempts as Rider (tied for second at 10 with McCallum) including the capper in the 2019 Labour Day Classic — in which he memorably went on to celebrate in Pil Country — and an overtime game-winner against Calgary in the 2021 Western Semi-Final,” the team noted in a statement.

Thank you for everything Brett

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have announced the release of National kicker Brett Lauther.

https://t.co/dldrixRAcP pic.twitter.com/OzN7finvvu
— Saskatchewan Roughriders (@sskroughriders) February 2, 2026

“All told, Lauther went 295-for-360 on field goals as a Roughrider. His accuracy rate (81.9%) is the best in team history for anyone with 100-plus field-goal attempts.”

The team also lauded Lauther for his activities off the field and spending “countless hours giving back to the people of the province.”

Lauther helped found the Roughrider Foundation Winter Classic, a charity hockey game featuring NHL and CFL alumni which brings in thousands of dollars for the foundation each year.

“He is regularly in Saskatchewan classrooms teaching children about the importance of mental health and literacy through the Foundation’s Win With Wellness and Rider Reading programs,” the Roughriders noted.

“In 2023, Lauther’s community contributions were recognized when he received the Tom Pate Memorial Award, presented on an annual basis to a member of the CFL Players’ Association who demonstrates supreme sportsmanship and exemplary contributions to his team and community.”