The Saskatchewan Roughriders are hoping CFL all-star receiver KeeSean Johnson can suit up for the team in the 112th Grey Cup.
The 29-year-old, who suffered a knee injury in the first half during Week 19 against the Toronto Argonauts, participated in the Riders’ walkthrough portion of practice on Wednesday but then left the field. He was on the field with his teammates on Thursday, but did not participate at all.
“He wasn’t out there ripping around. Attacking treatment to give us our best chance. We’ll see what that looks like for us,” head coach Corey Mace said.
“Hopefully it is something that we can turn to, but he’s going to need a little bit more treatment for him to get out there and do what he wants to do at the speed he wants to do it.”
The Mountain View, Calif. native recorded 86 receptions for 1,159 yards with four touchdowns in 16 regular-season games. He has been a key target for quarterback Trevor Harris to keep the chains moving, leading the CFL with 39 second-down conversions.
“Like we said all year with this receiving core, if it doesn’t come down to that, tons of guys we got faith in, but you can’t ignore what KeeSean can bring for our team,” Mace said.
Fellow American receiver Joe Robustelli did not practice on Wednesday, but he was a full participant on Thursday after clearing concussion protocol following a head injury in the West Final. The 28-year-old dressed for 12 games during the 2025 regular season, recording 38 receptions for 544 yards with three touchdowns, highlighted by a 191-yard performance in Week 6 against the Calgary Stampeders.
“He’s got so much juice, man. He can do it all, that kid. Excellent to see him out there,” Mace said. “He went through all the testing and all that stuff, he’s out there, he’s good to go.”
Robustelli started at boundary receiver in the West Final, the spot where Johnson usually plays. He made three catches for 40 yards prior to leaving the game in the first half.
The Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the B.C. Lions in the West Final 24-21. The teams split two regular-season meetings, though Montreal franchise quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games due to a left hamstring injury.
The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.
This marks the fifth time the Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg and the second time it will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium. The venue’s first Grey Cup was held in 2015 when the Edmonton Football Team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 26-20, and Michael Reilly was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
