Photo: Boston College Football/Joe Sullivan

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been in touch with Canadian offensive lineman Kyle Hergel.

The 25-year-old was waived by the New Orleans Saints following training camp and passed through NFL waivers unclaimed. He dressed for eight games with the Saints last season, playing 45 offensive snaps and 26 special teams snaps, spending the rest of the year on the team’s practice roster after being signed as an undrafted free agent.

“I know we’ve spoke, but he’s not here. I don’t know the answer if he’s planning to come up or waiting for an opportunity down there, if that’s his choice, rightfully so,” head coach Corey Mace said.

“[Assistant general manager] Kyle [Carson] and myself, since we grabbed him last year, we keep in contact every other week throughout the process. He’s a Rider fan for sure, he watches every game, even when he’s nowhere near the province. We’ll see, but our focus is the guys who are here now.”

Hergel was selected by the Riders with the third overall pick in the 2024 CFL Draft. The six-foot-two, 315-pound blocker earned $631,750 USD with New Orleans during the 2024 NFL season. If no other NFL options are presented, sources believe the Toronto native would upgrade Saskatchewan’s offensive line.

Sidy Sow would improve the Roughriders front as well. After two seasons with the New England Patriots, the Quebec native was released among final roster cuts leading into the 2025 NFL season. The six-foot-five, 318-pound blocker has earned over $2.4 million USD through two years in the NFL.

“Sidy, I haven’t spoken with him,” said Mace. “I don’t have a relationship with him, him being drafted was prior to me getting here. I haven’t had any chance to share a relationship with the guy. I met him in passing when I visited the Patriots last year.”

Sow was selected by the Riders in the sixth round during 2023 CFL Draft, which came after the Pats picked him in the fourth round at the 2023 NFL Draft. The 27-year-old suited up in 27 games for New England, starting 14 including 13 in his rookie NFL season.

Meanwhile, Trevor Reid remains an NFL free agent and Saskatchewan owns his CFL rights as he’s under contract with the Green and White through February 2026. He started all 18 regular-season games for the Riders at left tackle in 2024 and earned the team award for Most Outstanding Rookie.

“Anything’s possible, but I believe it was an injury issue, which led him to where he is right now. I haven’t personally gotten any updates on that,” Mace said. “He was a great player for us. I never wanna say no to anything.”

All three blockers — Hergel, Sow, and Reid — are possible reinforcements for the Riders offensive line down the stretch but there’s no certainty any return to Saskatchewan.

The Roughriders (8-2) host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-4) at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. ED. The Bombers are coming off back-to-back wins against Ottawa and Montreal, while the Roughriders had their four-game winning streak snapped by the Stampeders.

The weather forecast for the 60th Labour Day Classic in Regina calls for a high of 30 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and 620 CKRM in Regina.