Roughriders release receiver Derel Walker

The CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders have released one of their high-profile free-agent signings from the off-season.

The Riders announced Wednesday they had released wide receiver Derel Walker, whose signing was announced in March.

The 32-year-old product of Hillsboro, Texas played in just one game with Saskatchewan, making three catches for 28 yards and a touchdown in a 17-13 victory over the host Edmonton Elks on June 11.

Walker suffered a knee injury late in that game and was put on the six-game injured list. He was eligible to come off the injured list this week, so the Roughriders were able to release him.

A number of Saskatchewan’s receivers have been injured this season, but those players are starting to get healthy and could return to the roster. The Roughriders also have been getting good production from players like Tevin Jones, Shawn Bane Jr., and Sam Emilus, which may have made Walker expendable.

Bane Jr. leads the CFL with 615 yards while Jones is fourth with 563.

“We just didn’t have a spot for him, unfortunately,” head coach Craig Dickenson said. “We feel like we’ve got good young receivers in-house. It was a tough decision releasing a veteran player that’s a good guy through and through and was a good player for us.

“We only have so many spots and we didn’t have a spot.”

Walker was a four-time division all-star, a two-time CFL all-star and a three-time 1,000-yard receiver in the league.

The 6-foot-2, 187-pounder was named the CFL’s most outstanding rookie in 2015, when he had 89 receptions for 1,110 yards and six touchdowns in just 12 games with Edmonton. The following season, he had 109 catches for 1,589 yards and 10 touchdowns in 18 games.

After a stint with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017, Walker returned to the CFL. He came to Saskatchewan after spending five CFL seasons with Edmonton (2015-18, ’21-22) and one with the Toronto Argonauts (2019).