Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list inclu...
There are plenty of pending free agents the Saskatchewan Roughriders will look to bring back — and a few of the players already locked in for 2026 have already begun their recruitment pitches.
“That started happening weeks ago,” said defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr, who is signed through 2026. “We have a good group and as many guys that we can keep, that will be better for us.”
Read more:
- LISTEN: Riders Trevor Harris and AJ Ouellette reflect on Grey Cup win
- ‘I hope we made you proud’: Saskatchewan Roughriders defeat Montreal Alouettes 25-17 to win 2025 Grey Cup
- ‘Grey Cup champions forever’: Riders’ players continue celebration with parade
Defensive back Marcus Sayles signed a two-year extension last offseason. He said the guys in the locker room saw firsthand how special the group was.
“I know how bad these guys want to win and how bad they want to be around this team and the camaraderie we had all season. You’re going to see a lot of people that are going to want to come here — it’s infectious,” Sayles said. “Hopefully, all these guys can get their money, come back and we can do it again.”
Linebacker A.J. Allen, who is a pending free agent, has already received a pitch from fellow linebacker Jameer Thurman.
“He’s not much of a convincing guy — he’s not much of a seller. He just told me I am (coming back) and walked away,” Allen said. “That’s how Thurm works. He just said, ‘Yeah, we’re back.'”
The 2025 edition of the Riders was one of the best in franchise history. The club finished the regular season atop the CFL standings with a 12-6 record. After beating the B.C. Lions in the West Final, Saskatchewan defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg.
It was just the fifth time in the Riders’ history that the team has raised the Grey Cup.
For Milligan, it was the first title he has ever won in the sport.
“It meant a lot,” Milligan said. “It took about 25 years to get here. The hard work paid off finally.”
When he raised the CFL championship on the stage, the normally soft-spoken defensive back let out a loud yell. He admits it was probably the loudest he’s ever yelled.
“I ain’t have nothing left in me now. My voice is real scratchy so it probably was (the loudest),” Milligan said.
During the parade, one of the special moments for Sayles was raising his newborn child up Lion King style on the balcony of the Legislative Building.
“I think that was the best part of the whole parade, at least for me. She had a great time, my wife had a great time and it was just a special event. All of Regina came out and we really turned it up. I’m happy we were able to get this Grey Cup done because (Parade Day) was special,” Sayles said.
While the players can make their best pitches to keep the group back together, it will be up to general manager Jeremy O’Day to try and reach the deals that will shape the 2026 roster.
