Saskatchewan Roughriders sign Darius Washington to shore up ailing offensive line

Photo: AP/Gary McCullough

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American offensive lineman Darius Washington amid a rash of injuries at the position.

The six-foot-three, 322-pound blocker recently attended rookie minicamp with the Denver Broncos after going unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft. He reportedly ran a 5.43-second forty-yard dash at his pro day along with a 24.5-inch vertical jump and 16 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

The native of Pensacola, Fla. played 57 collegiate games at Florida State University where he made 33 starts at left tackle, 11 starts at right tackle, and three starts at centre. He was named first-team All-ACC in 2023.

The move came after Saskatchewan suffered yet another injury along the offensive line in their season-opener, losing left tackle Payton Collins. The Roughriders already had four offensive linemen on injured reserve prior to Collins going down with Jacob Brammer and Braydon Noll on the one-game injured list and Philippe Gagnon and Sean McEwen on the six-game injured list.

Saskatchewan has also brought back American linebacker Braxton Hill while confirming the signing of American running back Ka’Deem Carey, which was reported by 3DownNation on Sunday.