VANCOUVER – The BC Lions will have a new player under centre for their Week 9 matchup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The team listed quarterback Kaidon Salter as the starter on its depth chart for Thursday night’s game against the Bombers.
The Lions have also placed running back James Butler on the reserve roster for Week 9. The tailback was limited in practice on Monday and Tuesday and was listed as questionable on the team’s injury report.
Earlier in the week, TSN’s Farhan Lalji had reported that BC was expected to start Salter.
The pivot starts in place of last week’s starter Chase Brice, who took over after Nathan Rourke suffered an injury in Week 7 against the Edmonton Elks.
Brice has appeared in six games in 2026 (including a Week 8 start) and has completed 40 of 66 passes for 476 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. In Week 8, Brice got the starting nod and completed 14 of 25 passes for 163 yards in a loss to the Toronto Argonauts.
Salter signed with the Lions in May and has appeared in six games so far in 2026, completing nine of 15 attempts for 121 yards and adding four carries for 12 yards.
The pivot began his college career at Liberty from 2021-24, appearing in 35 games and becoming the full-time starter in his sophomore campaign, while winning Hero Sports G5 National Player of the Year.
Salter transferred to Colorado for his senior season, dressing in nine games and completing 127 of 204 passes for 1,404 yards and 10 touchdowns. The dual-threat pivot added 103 carries for 356 yards and five more majors on the ground. Following week seven of college football, Pro Football Focus named Salter the National Quarterback of the Week and the Big 12 Quarterback of the Week.
The Lions and the Bombers face off in Winnipeg on Thursday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on TSN and RDS in Canada, or CFL+ in the U.S. and internationally.
