Photo courtesy: CFL.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American defensive lineman Mike Rose to a one-year contract extension for the 2026 CFL season.

Rose played 17 regular-season games in 2025, recording 17 defensive tackles, one for loss, six sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass knockdown. He started in both the West Final and 112th Grey Cup, posting one defensive tackle in each win.

The six-foot-two, 268-pounder joined the Riders last February after eight seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, including three All-CFL selections from 2021 to 2023, four West Division all-star nods 2021 to 2024 and one Grey Cup championship in 2018.

The Fountain Inn, South Carolina native initially signed with the Stamps in May 2017. He played 86 regular season games for Calgary, recording 143 defensive tackles, 36 sacks, five special teams tackles, three forced fumbles and two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.

Rose started all 18 regular season games in 2024, registering 19 defensive tackles, three tackles for loss, a team-leading six quarterback sacks, and one interception returned 83 yards for a touchdown. He has been a dominant force in the middle throughout his career, leading all CFL interior linemen in sacks in 2023 with 11 which was a single-season, career-high. In 2019, he led all interior linemen in tackles with 46. 

Collegiately, Rose played in 51 games over four seasons at North Carolina State University from 2012 to 2015. He tallied 121 defensive tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and four forced fumbles. Following the 2016 NFL Draft, he signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent and attended training camp with the team. 

Saskatchewan finished first in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 12-6 record, finishing first in the West Division for the first time since 2019. The team went on to defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, marking the team’s first championship in 12 years. Trevor Harris went 11-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

The Roughriders ranked second in net offence, second in net defence, and tied for third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The team’s leading rusher was A.J. Ouellette with 1,222 yards, leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and leading tackler was A.J. Allen with 91 tackles. Saskatchewan finished second in attendance with average crowds of 28,427, which was a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year.