Saskatchewan Roughriders sign American LB Chris Russell Jr.

Photo courtesy: Evan Pilat/Texas A&M Athletics

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American linebacker Chris Russell Jr. to their practice roster.

The six-foot-one, 235-pound native of Dyersburg, Tenn. played five collegiate seasons at Texas A&M, where he recorded 112 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 quarterback sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one blocked kick over 58 games.

The 23-year-old most recently spent time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in rookie camp, but was released before the opening of training camp. He originally signed with the Green Bay Packers after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft and had a stint on the team’s practice roster, though he didn’t see any regular-season action. Russell Jr. also signed with the UFL’s Memphis Showboats earlier this year but didn’t see any regular-season action with the team.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-2) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-4) at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday, August 31 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off back-to-back wins against Ottawa and Montreal, while the Roughriders had their four-game winning streak snapped by the Stampeders.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 27 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and 620 CKRM in Regina.