The Saskatchewan Roughriders are dealing with a growing list of injuries as they prepare for their Week 2 matchup against the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday at McMahon Stadium. Following their 31-27 season-opening victory over the B.C. Lions, the team will be without at least four players who suited up in that game.
Key Defensive Players Sidelined
Halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. (shoulder) and safety Nelson Lokombo (ankle) both missed practice this week and will be placed on the injured list. American rookie JuJu Hughes is expected to start at halfback, while Jaxon Ford will likely take over at safety. Ford, who stepped in during the opener when Lokombo moved to halfback after Milligan's injury, emphasized the team's next-man-up mentality.
"The standard is the standard," Ford said. "It's next-man-up mentality. We're all pros. Even though some of us aren't taking those reps in practice, we're still mentally taking them and making sure we're still locked in."
Special Teams Shake-Up
The Roughriders will also be without long snapper Aaron Crawford (knee), who has been ruled out. To fill the gap, the team signed veteran long snapper Mike Benson on Wednesday. Benson, 39, hasn't played in the CFL since Week 2 of the 2025 season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He expressed surprise at the opportunity but quickly accepted.
"It was a little bit out of the blue," Benson said. "You don't know when your last down is going to be. When my agent gave me a call and asked if I was interested in coming down, I said, 'Absolutely, without a doubt.' I didn't even think twice about it, except for having to take a quick look at the wife and make sure she was all right with it first."
Benson, a CFL veteran since 2012, spent five seasons with his hometown Bombers before being released in August. He acknowledged the shortage of long snappers in the league and noted that he has stayed in shape as a strength coach.
Other Injury Updates
Linebacker Jayden Dalke (hand) has also been ruled out, while linebacker Nick Wiebe (head) is available to play after missing the season opener. Right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick (knee) and defensive end James Vaughters (ankle), who each missed a day of practice this week, are also cleared to play.
Looking Ahead
The Roughriders (1-0) aim to start the season with two straight wins for the third consecutive year under head coach Corey Mace. The Stampeders (0-1) are coming off a bye week after a narrow 30-28 loss to Winnipeg in Week 1. Last season, Calgary swept the series against Saskatchewan.
