The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be without Canadian defensive back Jaxon Ford for their season-opener against the Ottawa Redblacks on Thursday night.

The six-foot, 210-pound native of Regina, Sask. didn’t practice this week due to a hand injury, as per the team’s report. He was one of Saskatchewan’s most productive defenders during the preseason, recording six tackles and one tackle for loss.

The University of Regina product was originally a second-round pick in the 2023 CFL Draft and has since dressed for 21 regular-season games, making 12 defensive tackles and seven special teams tackles.

Ford is the grandson of Al Ford, a local legend who won a Grey Cup as a player with Saskatchewan in 1966 and another in 1989 as the team’s general manager.

Other players who have been ruled out this week include fullback Albert Awachie (hip), receivers Shawn Bane Jr. (knee) and Tommy Nield (ankle), offensive linemen Philippe Gagnon (bicep), Sean McEwen (knee), and Braydon Noll (head), defensive lineman Charbel Dabire (knee), and defensive back Kosi Onyeka (knee).

Offensive lineman Jacob Brammer (back) has been listed as questionable, while defensive linemen Lake Korte-Moore (hand) and Shane Ray (ankle), linebacker Nick Wiebe (back), and defensive back Nelson Lokombo (hamstring) have been listed as available.

The Roughriders (0-0) will host the Redblacks (0-0) on Thursday, June 5 with kickoff slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT.

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