The Saskatchewan Roughriders are getting Samuel Emilus and James Letcher Jr. back in the lineup for Sunday’s Roughriders vs Lions game, a boost that comes after a 26-19 upset loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Emilus missed the last three regular-season games with a foot injury, while Letcher Jr. has been out since Week 4 with an elbow injury.
That matters because Emilus has been one of the Roughriders’ most productive targets when available. He has 31 catches for 448 yards and five touchdowns in six regular-season games this year, and he still ranks third on the team in receiving despite the missed time. Letcher Jr. also gives the Roughriders a lift in the return game, where he was averaging 13.9 yards per punt return and 24.3 yards per kickoff return in three games before he went down.
The matchup itself is coming fast. The Roughriders, 6-3, visit the B.C. Lions, 4-5, at BC Place Stadium on Sunday, August 23, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Lions arrive after a 30-26 win over the Calgary Stampeders, and the game will be shown on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally, with radio coverage on 620 CKRM in Regina, 730 CKNW in Vancouver and Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 in Vancouver.
There is still some churn around the rest of the roster. D’Sean Mimbs has been placed on the reserve roster and Vyshonne Janusas has been demoted to the practice squad to make room, while Quali Conley is back after a one-game absence and Zack Fry and Daniel Johnson have been re-inserted into the lineup without being listed as starters. Ali Saad will also return to the defensive rotation, while Darius Bell, Liam Hoskins and Seyi Oladipo Jr. have been sent back to the practice roster.
Emilus has already built the kind of résumé that changes a passing game. He was a first-round pick in the 2022 CFL Draft, earned West Division all-star status in 2024 and was named the Most Valuable Canadian in Saskatchewan’s Grey Cup win last season. For a team trying to steady itself after a loss, getting him back now looks less like a luxury than a correction.
