Veteran defensive lineman Micah Johnson has retired from playing in the Canadian Football League after 12 seasons.
However, he won’t be leaving the CFL as the 37-year-old has accepted a job as the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defensive line coach. His family moved full-time to Regina in 2023, and it’s where they’ll stay as Johnson joins Corey Mace’s coaching staff. Mace spent three seasons playing with Johnson in Calgary, and the two won the 2014 Grey Cup together with the Stampeders.
Johnson suited up for 178 regular-season games in his CFL career. He recorded 309 defensive tackles, 71 sacks, six forced fumbles, two interceptions and two special teams tackles. The Columbus, Ga., native won three Grey Cup championships during his playing days, earned five CFL all-star selections and seven divisional nods.
The six-foot-one, 255-pound disruptor spent his first six CFL seasons with the Calgary Stampeders and five of his final six years with the Riders, except for 2022 when he played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
During his time in Cowtown, Johnson developed into one of the CFL’s premier defensive tackles, playing a key role in Grey Cup wins in 2014 and 2018. He played in 81 games with the Stampeders, recording 158 defensive tackles, 41 sacks and two interceptions.
Johnson signed with Saskatchewan as a free agent in 2019. He played 80 regular-season games with the Green and White over five seasons (2019, 2021, 2023–2025), including back-to-back CFL all-star campaigns in 2024 and 2025.
Last season, Johnson became the first 37-year-old defensive player in league history to earn a CFL all-star distinction as he registered 20 defensive tackles, two for loss, and six sacks. In 2024, he suited up for all 18 regular-season games, posted 28 defensive tackles, four tackles for loss, and six sacks.
In his second-to-last CFL season, Johnson became an emergency offensive lineman. During the Labour Day Classic, he played two-and-a-half quarters at right guard and also went in on offence for short-yardage situations in 2025, helping quarterback Tommy Stevens convert 33-of-36 rushes during the regular season for a 91.7 percent conversion rate.
After going unselected in the 2010 NFL Draft, Johnson signed an undrafted free agent contract with the New York Giants. He was waived and signed by the Miami Dolphins, where he dressed for one game in 2010 prior to being released by the team. The University of Kentucky product also had stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders finished first in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 12-6 record, finishing first in the West Division for the first time since 2019. The team went on to defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, marking the team’s first championship in 12 years. Trevor Harris went 11-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
The Roughriders ranked second in net offence, second in net defence, and tied for third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was A.J. Ouellette with 1,222 yards, the leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and the 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.
