The defending Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders open their 2026 preseason on the road against the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. It is the only CFL game on the schedule today.
This Week's CFL Preseason Schedule
Saskatchewan Roughriders at Calgary Stampeders
When | Monday, May 18 at 3:00 PM ET |
|---|---|
Where | McMahon Stadium, Calgary, AB |
TV / Stream | CFL+ (free stream). Not on TSN. |
Line | Preseason – full sportsbook lines not commonly posted |
Saskatchewan won the 112th Grey Cup in November and goes wire-to-wire into 2026 as the team to beat. Calgary finished 11-7 last year and lost the West Semi-Final to B.C. Both clubs are using game one of preseason to sort out backup jobs and roster bubble spots, so the early snaps will look more like a starting unit than the later ones.
Calgary lists Vernon Adams Jr. as the starting quarterback. Josh Love, Ben Wooldridge, and Jacolby Criswell are also dressed. The Stamps will run out their full projected starting offensive line in front of Adams, with receivers Jalen Philpot, Clark Barnes, and Erik Brooks taking first-team reps. The defense will field starters Charles Wiley, Kyle Wilson, Marquel Lee, Anthony Johnson, Jaydon Grant, and Adrian Greene.
Saskatchewan is sitting most of its core. Starting quarterback Trevor Harris will not dress. Jack Coan gets the start, with Tommy Stevens and Brayden Schager behind him. The Riders also held out RB AJ Ouellette, receivers Kian Schaffer-Baker, Sam Emilus, and KeeSean Johnson, offensive linemen Jermarcus Hardrick and Logan Ferland, defensive linemen James Vaughters, Mike Rose, and Caleb Sanders, linebacker Jameer Thurman, and defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr.
Five 112th Grey Cup starters will play for the Riders: LT Payton Collins, RG Jacob Brammer, P Jesse Mirco, LB Antoine Brooks Jr., and HB DaMarcus Fields.
Players to Watch:
Jack Coan (Roughriders, QB) – Third-year passer making his case as Harris's primary backup. Has completed 12 of 29 attempts for 138 yards and one TD across 23 regular-season games. Added 16 rushes for 54 yards and three rushing TDs.
Vernon Adams Jr. (Stampeders, QB) – Signed an extension through 2028 days before camp opened. Led Calgary's offense to an 11-7 mark in 2025.
Devodric Bynum (Stampeders, DB) – Free agent signing makes his Calgary debut at boundary halfback. Posted 23 defensive tackles, five interceptions, and one forced fumble across 14 games as a CFL rookie with Edmonton in 2024.
Daniel Wiebe (Roughriders, WR) – U Sports Canada West conference player of the year gets the start at receiver.
Jonathan Kim (Roughriders, K) – Presumptive 2026 placekicker gets the start. Booted a 58-yard field goal during camp.
Coan, speaking with Roughriders play-by-play announcer Dave Thomas on SportsCage, on his goal for the game:
"The No. 1 goal is to go out there and get a win for the team. Obviously I don't know if I'm going to play the whole game or whatever it is but that's the main goal going in there. Obviously I want to just execute the offence, do my job on each and every play. I know it's not going to be perfect but I just want to try for that."
Note: Preseason games are tough to call because starters' snaps are limited and bench depth often decides the final score. Calgary's heavier use of projected starters early on the offensive line and at QB gives them the edge in the first quarter; after that, it comes down to who develops faster.
What's Next on the CFL Preseason Slate
Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
Fri, May 22 | Ottawa at Montreal | 7:00 PM |
Sat, May 23 | Toronto at Hamilton (TSN) | 4:00 PM |
Sat, May 23 | Winnipeg at Saskatchewan (Saskatoon) | 7:00 PM |
Sat, May 23 | Edmonton at B.C. | 7:00 PM |
Fri, May 29 | Hamilton at Toronto (Guelph) | 7:00 PM |
Fri, May 29 | Montreal at Ottawa (TSN) | 7:30 PM |
Fri, May 29 | B.C. at Winnipeg | 8:30 PM |
Fri, May 29 | Calgary at Edmonton | 9:00 PM |
The 2026 CFL regular season opens Thursday, June 4 when Hamilton hosts Montreal.
Quick Hits
Trevor Harris (Saskatchewan starting QB) will not dress for the preseason opener
Outside of Siaosi Mariner and Dhel Duncan-Busby, the Riders' starting receiver group has a combined one career regular-season catch
Calgary's Vernon Adams Jr. signed a contract extension through 2028 on the eve of training camp
TSN is broadcasting only two CFL preseason games in 2026 — Toronto at Hamilton on May 23 and Montreal at Ottawa on May 29. All other games stream on CFL+
Weather forecast for Calgary: mainly sunny, high of 14°C, with a risk of thunderstorms in the early evening
Who wins this preseason opener? Drop your picks in the comments.