The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed Canadian receiver Samuel Emilus to a two-year contract extension through the 2027 CFL season. He was scheduled to become a free agent in February.
Emilus was named the Most Valuable Canadian in the 112th Grey Cup when the Riders beat the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 on Sunday, November 16 in Winnipeg. He recorded 10 receptions for 108 yards in the CFL championship game, including an impressive 31-yard toe-tapper mid-way through the fourth quarter.
The six-foot, 200-pound pass catcher has developed into one of the premier receivers in the CFL. Saskatchewan offensive coordinator Marc Mueller called him “the best player in the league” after the Green and White hoisted the Grey Cup and the confetti had fallen at Princess Auto Stadium.
Emilus was selected in the first round, seventh overall during the 2022 CFL Draft. After registering 10 catches for 165 yards in his rookie year, the Montreal native posted 70 receptions for 1,097 yards with eight touchdowns in 2023. He followed that up with 87 grabs for 1,064 yards and five majors in 2024, earning West Division all-star honours.
During the 2025 regular season, Emilus was limited to seven games due to foot and knee injuries, notching 37 receptions for 588 yards with two touchdowns. He saved his best performances for the CFL playoffs, nine catches for 100 yards in a 24-21 West Final win over the B.C. Lions and his aforementioned Grey Cup MVC performance.
Through 57 career CFL games, Emilus has registered 204 receptions for 2,914 yards, including 999 after the catch, 13 touchdowns with a 14.3 per catch average.
General manager Jeremy O’Day has been busy since the Roughriders parade in Regina working to re-sign pending free agents. His football operations department has inked Grey Cup MVP Trevor Harris, short yardage QB Tommy Stevens, Canadian running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon, Canadian fullback Albert Awachie, Most Outstanding Lineman Jermarcus Hardrick, American defensive lineman Caleb Sanders, Global defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen, Canadian linebacker/defensive back Jayden Dalke and Canadian defensive back Jaxon Ford. That leaves 36 pending free agents on Saskatchewan’s list.
The Riders finished first in the West Division for the first time since 2019 with a 12-6 record in 2025. The Green and White went on to defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium, marking the team’s first title in 12 years. Trevor Harris went 11-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 16 regular-season starts.
The Roughriders ranked second in net offence, second in net defence, and tied for third with a plus-eight turnover differential. The team’s leading rusher was A.J. Ouellette with 1,222 yards, leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and leading tackler was A.J. Allen with 91 tackles. Saskatchewan finished second in attendance with average crowds of 28,427, which was a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year.
