The news release headline from the Saskatchewan Roughriders said, “here to stay,” as the Green and White announced that they have signed Canadian receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker to a two-year contract extension.
Signing the 27-year-old Mississauga product was a question mark for the Riders this off-season after they recently signed fellow Canadian receiver Samuel Emilus to a two-year contract extension worth $285,000 in hard money for 2026. The thought was that the team would be unable to retain Schaffer-Baker as well. General manager Jeremy O’Day quashed that from the recent off-season winter meetings, saying it would be difficult but not impossible.
Earlier Monday, Saskatchewan re-signed American Jack Coan to a one-year extension, tying him to the team through 2026. Coan is one of four quarterback now under contract with Saskatchewan for 2026, a group that also includes Trevor Harris, Tommy Stevens and Brayden Schager. Last year’s second stringer, Jake Maier, remains a pending free agent. It should be noted that the C-F-L’s Free Agency Communication Window, in which teams can openly speak with pending free agents, is scheduled for February 1 until February 8 with the league’s Free Agency period opens on February 10.
In addition, the Roughriders announced a third player signing today in American defensive line hopeful Desmond Evans.
Following are the news releases from the Riders…..
DATE: January 19, 2026
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR26-10
HERE TO STAY: RIDERS INK RECEIVER KIAN SCHAFFER-BAKER TO EXTENSION
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed National wide receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker to a two-year contract extension.
Schaffer-Baker (6’4-195) continues his career in Green and White through the 2027 season after being selected by the Roughriders in the fourth round, 30th overall, of the 2020 CFL Draft. The Mississauga native has played 57 career games as Roughrider, registering 220 receptions for 2,865 yards and 14 touchdowns. A tenacious receiver who fights for every yard for his team, Schaffer-Baker has an impressive 1,025 yards after catch and a 13-yards-per-catch average.
In five regular season games in 2025, Schaffer-Baker had 15 receptions for 177 yards, an average of 11.8 yards per catch. His impact was accentuated in the Western Final, in which he caught a three-yard touchdown pass on a third-down gamble to complete an eight-play, 64-yard march down field. The longest play on that drive was also by Schaffer-Baker – a 25-yard reception. He added three receptions for 27 yards in the Grey Cup.
After signing an extension in the spring of 2024, Schaffer-Baker posted 52 receptions for 735 yards and four touchdowns, tying a career-high in average yards per catch at 14.1. He added another strong post-season performance to his career that season, setting a Roughrider record for post-season receptions (12), while his 162 yards was the second-best total in Riders playoff history.
Since joining the team, the 27-year-old has endeared himself to Rider Nation, not only for his relentless passion on the field but as someone who always has time for a genuine interaction or to sign an autograph. In the 2024, he joined the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation as a Player Ambassador and spends the off-season giving back to the province through the Foundation’s Win with Wellness and Rider Reading programs.
DATE: January 19, 2026
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR26-09
RIDERS EXTEND QUARTERBACK JACK COAN
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American quarterback Jack Coan to a one-year contract extension.
Coan (6’3-218) remains in Green and White after initially signing with the Roughriders in March of 2024. Over the next two seasons he suited up for 23 games and registered 12 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.
Coan signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft. He attended camp with the Colts before joining the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas later that year. He went on to play eight games for the Brahmas, throwing for 1,403 yards and six touchdowns. Following the 2023 season, he had tryouts with the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.
Collegiately, Coan played his senior season at Notre Dame, after transferring from Wisconsin in spring of 2021. He played 13 games for the Fighting Irish earning 3,150 yards, 25 touchdowns, an 11-2 record and a 2022 Fiesta Bowl appearance where he set the Fiesta Bowl records for passing yards (509) and passing touchdowns (5). He was also named Phil Steele All-Independent Second Team and was a Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Honorable Mention.
Prior to Notre Dame, Coan spent four seasons (2017-20) at the University of Wisconsin. He played in 25 games with 18 starts at quarterback earning 3,278 passing yards and 23 touchdowns while adding four rushing touchdowns. In 2019, he was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention after throwing 236 passes for 2,727 yards, the third highest single season total in UW history.
DATE: January 19, 2026
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR26-11
RIDERS ADD PASS RUSHER DESMOND EVANS
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American defensive lineman Desmond Evans.
Evans (6’5-265) was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft and played three preseason games. He spent five collegiate seasons (2020-24) at the University of North Carolina, appearing in 55 games as a Tar Heel – including 10 as a true freshman. Over that time, he registered 124 defensive tackles, including 21 for a loss, nine sacks, six pass deflections and two fumble recoveries, setting collegiate career highs in defensive tackles (38), tackles for loss (10) and sacks (5) as a senior in 2024.