REGINA – Ka’Deem Carey has officially found a new home.
After an initial report from TSN’s Dave Naylor on Sunday that the Saskatchewan Roughriders had come to terms with the running back, the news was made official on Monday.
Carey joins the Roughriders following an East Division All-CFL campaign with the Toronto Argonauts in 2024. The veteran running back rushed for 1,060 yards (third in the CFL) and seven touchdowns over 18 games, while also recording 37 receptions for 356 yards and one touchdown.
Carey played in all three of the Argonauts’ playoff games, contributing 79 yards and a touchdown in the team’s 41–24 111th Grey Cup victory over Winnipeg.
Before joining Toronto, Carey spent four seasons (2019–2023) with the Calgary Stampeders. He led the CFL in rushing in both 2021 and 2022 — earning 869 yards and seven touchdowns in a shortened 14-game season in 2021, and 1,080 yards with 10 touchdowns in 14 games in 2022. He is a three-time Divisional All-CFL selection (2021, 2022, 2024) and was named All-CFL in 2022. Carey was also twice named the Stampeders’ Most Outstanding Player and is a two-time Grey Cup Champion. Over 62 regular season games, he has totalled 3,915 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns.
The signing comes after the Riders’ starting running back, AJ Ouellette, did not finish their first game of the 2025 season. As of Monday, there’s been no official word from the team about the severity of Ouellette’s injury.
Thomas Bertrand-Hudon filled in for Ouellette for the rest of Week 1’s contest, scoring twice in their victory. He carried the rock 14 times for 57 yards and a major, averaging 4.1 yards per carry and his longest going for 10 yards. The Canadian also got in on the receiving game, catching two passes for 17 yards including his 14-yard touchdown.
Carey was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft and played 37 games over three seasons with the team. At the collegiate level, he played three seasons at Arizona, where he was a two-time Consensus All-American (2012, 2013), a two-time First Team All-Pac-12 selection (2012, 2013), and the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2013.
The team also announced the signing of American linebacker Braxton Hill and American offensive lineman Darius Washington.
Hill spent four collegiate seasons at the University of Montana (2019-2023), joining the team as a walk-on and going on to become team captain. He played in 51 games as a Grizzly and registered 231 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, nine sacks, eight pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions, including one he returned 34 yards for a touchdown.
In his senior season, Hill led the Big Sky and was fifth in the FCS in total tackles (128). He helped lead a defence that allowed just 108.5 yards rushing per game, the lowest in the Big Sky Conference and the third lowest in the FCS. Montana also had the FCS’s third best third down defence in 2023, allowing teams to convert only 29 percent of the time.
For his efforts, Hill was named an All-American and a Buck Buchanan Award Finalist that season as well earning an All Big-Sky Conference selection. He also received several team accolades including the defensive MVP and the Tony Barbour Award which is given to the player that best exemplifies outstanding practice habits and makes an unselfish contribution to the betterment of the football team.
Hill spent four weeks with the Riders last fall as a member of the Club’s expanded practice roster and attended training camp with the team in 2025.
Washington attended rookie mini-camp with the Denver Broncos after spending six seasons (2019-2024) at Florida State. Washington suited up for 57 games as a Seminole, making 47 career starts including 33 at left tackle, 11 at right tackle and three at centre.
In 2024, he started all 10 games at left tackle. He was a game captain nine times. As well, he became one of only two players in Florida State history to start in six consecutive seasons. He also received the Bill McGrotha Award, recognizing humanitarian efforts.
Washington was part of a stout offensive line in 2023, that saw him named a Phil Steele Honourable Mention All-American and First-Team All-ACC after helping the Seminoles lead the ACC in scoring offence, total touchdowns, rushing touchdowns, yards per completion, fewest interceptions thrown and fewest turnovers.He appeared in 13 games, starting 10 (eight at left tackle and two at centre).
The Riders head to Hamilton Stadium on Saturday to take on the Tiger-Cats in the final game of Week 2.
