Defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. missed practice with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Tuesday but head coach Corey Mace doesn’t seem concerned about the possibility of him missing this week’s game against the Calgary Stampeders.
“He’ll be fine, I think it’s just the sniffles or something. We send people home for the sniffles these days,” Mace told the media in Regina with a chuckle. “He was under the weather, so we’re just playing it smart. We don’t want to get anyone else sick.”
The 30-year-old native of Lake Wales, Fla. has made 71 defensive tackles, 20 special teams tackles, 10 pass knockdowns, and eight interceptions over 16 starts at boundary halfback this season. He leads the CFL in picks and is tied for second in special teams tackles and knockdowns, putting him in consideration for the league’s Most Outstanding Player award.
The five-foot-ten, 200-pound defender signed with the Roughriders in 2021 following a five-year run in the NFL as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Indianapolis Colts during which he played 11 regular season games with one start. He missed most of last year with a toe injury but showed no signs of rust this season, dominating in two separate phases of the game.
Saskatchewan can still finish first in the West Division with a win this week, provided the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lose to the Montreal Alouettes. Winnipeg’s game kicks off four hours before the Riders are set to host the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, so there won’t be much time if any for Saskatchewan to make roster changes following their rival’s matchup in La Belle Province.
“The main thing that we want to do is win the game but we want to find ways to get better as we head into the playoffs. I told everybody, ‘Hey, be ready to play whether it’s this week or there’s been situations where a guy hasn’t had many snaps and then he’s starting in the Grey Cup, so everybody’s gotta be dialed in and ready to go,'” said Mace. “We’ll see how it goes but everybody’s preparing to play.”
Running back Ryquell Armstead (shoulder), linebacker Adam Auclair (knee), defensive lineman Malik Carney (ankle), offensive lineman Peter Godber (ankle), receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker (ankle), and linebacker Melique Straker (hip) were all limited in practice on Tuesday, while defensive lineman Lake Korte-Moore (knee) didn’t participate.
The Riders (9-7-1) will host Calgary Stampeders (4-12-1) on Saturday, Oct. 26 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
