REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American running back A.J. Ouellette to a one-year contract extension, the team announced on Sunday.
Ouellette was set to become a free agent on February 10 and was ranked No. 21 on CFL.ca’s top 30 pending free agents.
Ouellette was a key member of the 2025 Grey Cup championship team. He rushed for 1,222 yards, the second-highest regular season total in the CFL, and led the Roughriders in touchdowns (nine). He scored eight rushing touchdowns, one of which was a 47-yarder, and caught 35 passes for 250 yards and another major.
A banner regular season was followed by back-to-back stellar showings in November. In the Western Final, Ouellette rushed 17 times for 113 yards in a 24-21 home-field victory over the BC Lions. He then carried the ball 17 times for 83 yards and one touchdown in a 25-17 112th Grey Cup win over the Montreal Alouettes on Nov. 16 in Winnipeg. His four-yard TD run was part of the 50 yards he produced during an 11-play, 92-yard march. As well, Ouellette contributed to airtight pass protection that prevented the opposition from registering a sack in the Western Final or the 112th Grey Cup Game.
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Ouellette signed with the Roughriders on Feb. 13, 2024 after spending his first four CFL seasons with the Toronto Argonauts. In Year 1 as a Roughrider, he rushed for 558 yards in eight games, a 1,256-yard pace over a full 18-game schedule, and scored three touchdowns over two playoff games. His two majors helped Saskatchewan defeat BC 28-19 in the 2024 Western Semi-Final at Mosaic Stadium.
The Covington, Ohio-born Ouellette joined the Roughriders as a free agent after being an East Division All-CFL selection in 2022 and 2023. He rushed for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games during his final season with Toronto. Ouellette’s previous season (2022) was highlighted by his two rushing touchdowns in the Argonauts’ 24-23 109th Grey Cup victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium.
In 62 career regular-season games, Ouellette has rushed 700 times for 3,562 yards —an average of 5.1 yards per carry — and 21 touchdowns. He has also caught 110 passes for 949 yards and five touchdowns.
Prior to the joining the Argonauts in September of 2019, Ouellette spent time in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns. He previously played five collegiate seasons (2014-18) at the University of Ohio. In 50 games with the Bobcats, he rushed for 3,833 yards and 32 touchdowns while adding 64 receptions for 516 yards and six touchdowns. He was also named the DXL Frisco Bowl Offensive MVP in 2018.