B.C. Lions rule out veteran cornerback Garry Peters against Riders

Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions

The B.C. Lions will be without their top cornerback, Garry Peters, for Saturday’s season-opener against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The 34-year-old was unable to practice on Thursday, after being limited in previous sessions and throughout training camp with a knee injury. While he was expected to play earlier in the week, Peters has now officially been ruled out.

The veteran DB missed two games with a knee injury in 2025, seeing his consecutive games played streak end at 115. However, he battled through a sprained knee and a micro-tear in his meniscus to make 16 appearances, producing 49 defensive tackles, three interceptions, six pass knockdowns and a forced fumble, while adding six tackles and a pair of knockdowns in two playoff contests.

Peters is entering his eighth season with the Lions and sits eighth on the franchise’s all-time record book for defensive tackles. The six-foot, 200-pound cover man earned All-CFL selections at both the league and division level in 2022 and 2023.

Prior to joining the Lions in 2018, the Clemson product spent two seasons with the Edmonton Football Team. In 139 career CFL games, he has produced 440 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles, two sacks, 19 interceptions, and three forced fumbles.

The Lions will release their official depth chart on Friday, though rookie Tyson Russell is expected to replace Peters after working in that spot in practice. Fellow defensive back Deontai Williams will be available after being limited on Tuesday.

Also ruled out this week are offensive linemen Isiah Cage, Josh Donovan, and Andrew Peirson, receiver Nate Demontagnac, defensive back Jett Elad, and kicker Mark McNamee.

The B.C. Lions (0-0) will visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-0) at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, June 13, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Both teams were on a bye in Week 1. They last faced each other in the 2025 Western Final, where Saskatchewan prevailed 24-21. The Riders went on to win the 112th Grey Cup.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 18 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. 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, 730 CKNW in Vancouver, and Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 for Punjabi coverage in B.C.