Riders ready to embrace the chaos in Winnipeg
4h ago
If the Riders win on Saturday, it secures them a spot in the 111th Grey Cup in Vacnouver on Nov. 17.
Micah Johnson will be back in green and white, which will reunite him with new Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace.
Johnson, a 35-year-old defensive tackle, was a teammate of Mace’s in Calgary between 2013 and ’15. Mace became the Stampeders’ defensive line coach in 2016.
A one-year contract extension will keep Johnson in Saskatchewan.
Johnson first joined the Riders in 2019 and signed contracts to return to the Green and White in 2021 and 2023. Johnson had signed a contract with the B.C. Lions in 2020 — a season that was never played due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and then with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2022.
Johnson has played in 142 CFL games and has recorded 261 tackles and 59 sacks. He played in all 18 games for the Riders in 2023, recording five sacks and 27 tackles.
He played for Calgary for six seasons, making 158 defensive tackles, 41 sacks, two interceptions, and six forced fumbles over 81 games. He won the Grey Cup twice with Calgary (2014, 2018).
Johnson is a three-time CFL all-star (2016-18) and a six-time West Division all-star (2016-19, 2021). He was also an East Division all-star in 2022.
He is a returning presence on a defence that will include some new faces, with the Riders reportedly agreeing to terms with linebacker Jameer Thurman, defensive end Malik Carney, linebacker Adam Auclair and defensive back Jalon Edwards-Cooper during the CFL’s negotiation period.
Johnson, a product of Columbus, Ga., was set to become a free agent when the period opened Tuesday at 11 a.m. Saskatchewan now has 14 pending free agents, having signed extensions with 15 players and having released one.
Riders announce signing of former Buc
Later Monday, the Roughriders announced the signing of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Elijah Ponder.
The 6-foot-3, 265-pounder signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent after the 2021 NFL draft and spent that season on the Bucs’ practice roster. He spent the 2023 XFL season with the Seattle Sea Dragons.
Ponder played five seasons (2016-20) with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. In 32 career games, he had 64 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hurries, five sacks, one pass deflection and two forced fumbles.