Photo: Calgary Stampeders. Photo edit: 3DownNation.
The B.C. Lions have signed American defensive lineman Shaun Peterson Jr., the team announced on Wednesday.
Peterson dressed for five regular-season games with the Calgary Stampeders this season, making one start. He registered six defensive tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and two pass knockdowns prior to his release.
The six-foot-three, 231-pound defender played six games and made three starts as a rookie in 2025. He recorded five defensive tackles, six special teams tackles, and three sacks with Calgary that year.
The 26-year-old originally signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft, but was subsequently released.
The native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. finished his collegiate career at the University of Central Florida, where he made made 14 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble.
The Lions have signed three other American players, including receiver Bryan Thompson, offensive lineman Ivory Scott Jr., and defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe. All have been placed on the practice roster.
Thompson attended training camp with the Lions earlier this year in Kamloops. He previously attended training camp with the Buffalo Bills in 2023 but didn’t make the club’s final roster.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound target finished his collegiate career at Arizona State University, where he caught 38 passes for 607 yards over two seasons.
Scott Jr. most recently played for the San Diego Strike Force of the Indoor Football League, earning a second-team All-IFL selection in 2026.
The six-foot-three, 300-pound blocker finished his collegiate career at Arkansas State University, where he played 36 games at guard. He earned a All-Sun Belt honourable mention in 2019.
Bledsoe played 14 regular-season games with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, making five starts. He recorded 17 total tackles and two pass knockdowns with the team.
The six-foot-four, 280-pound defender spent the following season with the Tennessee Titans, recording one tackle and one pass knockdown over five regular-season games.
The native of Kenner, La. spent the 2022 season on the practice roster with the Atlanta Falcons, finishing his NFL career with almost $1.3 million in earnings. He has since played for the Arlington Renegades, Birmingham Stallions, and Orlando Storm.
Bledsoe played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma, where he racked up 88 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and eight pass knockdowns, earning an All-Big 12 honourable mention in 2018.
B.C. has also released four American players from the practice roster, including quarterback Tyrie Adams, receiver Silas Bolden, and offensive linemen Jaquan Adams and Christian Olmstead.
Adams dressed for two regular-season games earlier this year but did not record any statistics. The 29-year-old spent the past four seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks, completing 62.6 percent of his passes for 817 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also rushed 21 times for 116 yards.
Bolden dressed for two regular-season games with the Lions this year, making three catches for 25 yards. He also returned eight punts for 78 yards and 13 kickoffs for 223 yards.
Adams and Olmstead did not see any regular-season action with the Lions.
The B.C. Lions (4-5) will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-3) at BC Place Stadium on Sunday, August 23 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Roughriders are coming off a 26-19 upset loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while the Lions beat the Calgary Stampeders by a score of 30-26.
The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 620 CKRM in Regina or 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver.
