Edmonton Elks regain Carter O’Donnell, bench Cam Carter for rematch with Riders

Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks.

The Edmonton Elks are making two changes to their offensive line ahead of Saturday’s rematch with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, prompted by the return of Carter O’Donnell.

The 27-year-old started the team’s first six regular-season games at left guard before missing last week’s game with a knee injury. The Calgary native signed with the Elks last fall after five years in the NFL. He dressed for seven regular-season games and made five starts at right guard.

O’Donnell was a member of the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals during his tenure down south. He dressed for five regular-season games and made three starts with Arizona. According to Spotrac, he earned almost $2.6 million during his time in the NFL.

Veteran Canadian Brett Boyko will move into a backup role once again with O’Donnell returning to his usual left guard spot, but that won’t be the only change up front. Rookie American Cam Carter, who has started six games at right guard since the injury to Coulter Woodmansey, has been demoted to the practice roster.

Joe Cooper, a rookie out of Slippery Rock University, will make his first career start after being signed on June 16. The six-foot-seven, 320-pound blocker was a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection, a consensus Division II All-American, and was a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award in 2025.

Canadian fullback Jacob Plamondon won’t be available this week to assist, as he has been placed on the one-game injured list with a shoulder issue. American defensive tackle Jared Brinkman is listed as a game-time decision after he was limited on Thursday due to a quad injury.

The Edmonton Elks (6-1) will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-2) 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.

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Graphic courtesy: Edmonton Elks