Riders fined $31K for roster and recruitment violations

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been fined $31,500 by the CFL for allowing players on the suspended list to attend practice as well as recruitment violations surrounding a junior player.

This is the fifth time the Riders have been fined by the CFL since Chris Jones took over as vice president of football operations before the 2016 season, the most significant of which came last August when the league docked the team $60,000 and reduced their salary cap by $26,000 for practising with ineligible players. They were also been fined for violating ratio rules in a July game against the B.C. Lions.

On Friday, Jones was fined $5,000 for meeting with the publicist for quarterback Johnny Manziel, who is on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats negotiation list, which the league said “constitutes tampering.”

In all, the Riders have been fined more than $110,000 since Jones took over.

Jones said in a statement that the Riders accept the league’s punishments.

“The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been notified of the league’s decision and accept their disciplinary action. We have been forthcoming with the CFL office on any information they have requested.

“We look forward to moving on and continuing to prepare for the 2017 season.”