A.J. Ouellette ‘week-to-week’ for Saskatchewan Roughriders

Photo courtesy: Arthur Ward/CFL

The Saskatchewan Roughriders might be without running back A.J. Ouellette on Saturday as he’s battling a knee injury. The team released an official injury report on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re going to go week-to-week on (Ouellette’s injury),” head coach Corey Mace told the media. “It might be a tall task (for him to play) this week, but nothing long-term.”

The 31-year-old left last week’s loss to the Edmonton Elks near the end of the third quarter and did not return. He rushed 12 times for 52 yards and caught one pass for 12 yards prior to the injury taking place.

The five-foot-eight, 208-pound ball-carrier missed two games due to injury earlier this season, giving way to rookie Quali Conley. The 23-year-old rushed for 107 yards, caught three passes for 17 yards, and scored one touchdown in place of Ouellette.

“(Conley)’s constantly watching, asking questions,” said franchise quarterback Trevor Harris. “He’s just a great guy, a tremendous football mind, and very athletic. He’s kind of like a scatback, he fits this league really well. He’s asked A.J. a lot of questions, and any time you get to watch A.J. Ouellette and watch how he operates, you’re going to get better through osmosis.”

Conley finished his collegiate career at the University of Arizona in 2024, where he rushed for 745 yards and eight touchdowns, caught 39 passes for 245 yards, and scored nine touchdowns. The native of Fresno, Calif. had stints with the Cincinnati Bengals and Montreal Alouettes prior his arrival in Riderville, though he didn’t see any regular-season action with either team.

Over four regular-season games this year, Ouellette has rushed for 288 yards and caught four passes for 30 yards.

Canadian receiver Samuel Emilus (foot), Canadian fullback Morgen Runge (pectoral), and Canadian offensive lineman Zack Fry (knee) were each non-participants in Tuesday’s practice.

Canadian offensive lineman Darius Bell (ankle) and American linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. (back) were both limited, while Canadian receiver Dylan Djete (quadriceps), Canadian linebacker Ryder Varga (knee), and Canadian defensive back Nelson Lokombo (ankle) were full participants.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-2) will visit the Edmonton Elks (6-1) at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, August 1 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The two teams met in Regina this past week, where Vincent Blanchard kicked a walk-off 57-yard game-winning field goal.

The weather forecast in Edmonton calls for a high of 24 degrees and a 30 percent chance of showers. 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 620 CKRM in Regina or 880 CHED in Edmonton.