Photo courtesy: Arthur Ward/CFL
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have ruled out their two top receivers against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as KeeSean Johnson (knee) and Dohnte Meyers (ankle) were non-participants throughout the practice week.
Johnson has made a CFL-high 86 catches for 1,159 yards and four touchdowns this season to lead the Roughriders in receptions and receiving yardage. The 29-year-old native of Mountain View, Calif. joined the team as a free agent in 2024 following a five-year NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, and Buffalo Bills.
Meyers has caught 65 passes for 1,056 yards and eight touchdowns on the year, leading the Roughriders in receiving scores. The 25-year-old native of Brooklyn, N.Y. missed last week’s game against the Toronto Argonauts, during which Saskatchewan clinched first place in the West Division.
The Roughriders have also ruled out running back A.J. Ouellette and defensive lineman Micah Johnson due to what they’ve termed “load management.” Short-yardage quarterback Tommy Stevens (knee), defensive lineman Shane Ray (neck), and defensive backs Marcus Sayles (ankle) and Rolan Milligan Jr. (foot/knee) have been ruled out as well.
Franchise quarterback Trevor Harris is listed as available, though Jake Maier reportedly took first-team reps during the practice week.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-4) will visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-8) at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday, October 17 with kickoff slated for 8:00 p.m. EDT. The Riders are coming off a win over Toronto that allowed them to clinch first place in the West Division, while the Blue Bombers lost to Edmonton, failing to clinch a playoff spot in the process.
The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of 11 degrees with rainy conditions. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 620 CKRM in Regina and 680 CJOB in Winnipeg.