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The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be playing without running back A.J. Ouellette this week.
Ouellette suffered an ankle injury in the team’s 40-37 win over the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday. When the Riders issued their depth chart for Friday’s game against the Toronto Argonauts, Ouellette moved onto the reserve roster. That allows the team to put a player onto the gameday roster up to 30 minutes before kickoff if it decides to make that change.
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But according to head coach Corey Mace, that won’t be the case for Ouellette this week.
“We looked at some things yesterday. I was thinking we could maybe try to get him out there for game time,” Mace said on Thursday. “Where it is at right now, I don’t know if it’s really worth the risk.”
The Riders take on the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, in what is being dubbed the ‘Prairie Blizzard’ game. The Riders will wear white away jerseys, as they are technically the road team. Toronto is holding three home games in opposing stadiums as BMO Field is in use during the FIFA World Cup.
Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m. The Green Zone pregame show begins at 5 p.m.
Quali Conley is expected to start at running back in Ouellette’s place. The 23-year-old Conley spent some time with the Montreal Alouettes during their training camp, but was released. He signed with the Riders on May 16.
Conley was with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft. He played in two preseason games with the club, rushing seven times for 28 yards and a touchdown.
“My teammates have helped me adjust. Before this, I was in Montreal and it was a different atmosphere,” Conley said. “Coming here, they really embraced me. The week I got here was a tough week.”
When Conley arrived in Saskatchewan, there were no practice days left before the team suited up for a preseason game against the Stamps.
“I really went into the game with no practice – just look at the playbook and coach helped me with all the stuff I had to remember,” Conley said. “Just a lot of information and getting the Montreal playbook out of my head and getting this playbook in.”
He said it means a lot to get a chance to play for the Riders.
“It’s my first CFL game, but just show everyone I can play,” Conley said.
The running back switch isn’t the only change to the Riders’ roster this week. With Juju Hughes suffering a long-term ankle injury, Jonathan Edouard will start at halfback. The former Argo was signed on June 17 as the team deals with injuries to its defensive backfield, including star defender Rolan Milligan Jr., who is on the six-game injured list with a shoulder injury.
The Riders’ offence will also have a new face in it, as D’Sean Mimbs makes his first career CFL start. The 2024 draft pick comes on for Dhel Duncan-Busby, who has been put on the one-game injured list with a shoulder injury.
