Riders look to fill Evans' shoes for second consecutive season
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are dealing with familiar territory after the loss of Shaq Evans due to injury.
“It’s a big loss and it’s also a big one emotionally. The good new is it’s not for the whole season. He’ll be out 6-8 and we hope when he’s back, he’s ready to roll,” said head coach, Craig Dickenson.
Evans suffered a fractured ankle in the first quarter of week three’s matchup against the Montreal Alouettes and is expected to be out six to eight weeks.
The Riders are now in a similar situation as last season when Evans broke his foot in week two and was out of the lineup until week 12.
“At least he’s been there and done it before so he knows it’s not the end of the world. He’ll get better, bones will heal, and he’s got a lot of support in the locker room,” said Dickenson.
Evans had already recorded 10 receptions for 185 yards this season. Tuesday was the first day the Riders took to the field since their 37-13 loss to the Alouettes and multiple receivers’ first opportunity to prove they can take Evan’s spot as a starter.
“The good news is this team is deep. We have a really talented receiving room,” said quarterback, Cody Fajardo. “I was hoping not to show it off this early in the season but, you know, if you want to be there the last game of the season, you have to have a really talented and deep team and I think we have that here.”
“We had a couple guys out there today. (Aristilde) Dieuly and Tevin Jones. I think it’s going to be a mix of those two and if we don’t feel like those two can do it, we’ll change our ratio and have a third Canadian receiver,” said Dickenson.
However, Jones is confident he can get the job done for the green and white.
“If I do get the start, which I know I already will in my head, you know, I have to plan for the best and hope for the best,” said Jones. “I’m going to do anything I can to make this team better and go out there and give my full effort.”
The Riders had a 3-4 record when Evans was out of the lineup in 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.