B.C. Lions American defensive lineman Steven Richardson had a setback prior to the 2022 CFL season.
Richardson signed a two-year contract through the 2023 season with the Leos during free agency in February.
“Steven Richardson suffered a significant injury during a workout session last week while preparing for the season and will be out for a significant amount of time,” Lions co-general manager and head coach Rick Campbell said in a statement. “He is already on the road to recovery and we hope to get him back for the stretch run of the season.”
The 26-year-old joined the Lions after two seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in which he recorded 38 defensive tackles, six sacks and one forced fumble in 25 regular season games.
Nicknamed “Stove,” the five-foot-eleven, 304-pound defensive tackle made two sacks in the 108th Grey Cup victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, en route to winning his second-straight ring with the Blue and Gold.
Richardson suited up in 48 games for the University of Minnesota from 2014-2017 and produced 103 defensive tackles, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He led all Golden Gopher defenders with 11 tackles for a loss and seven sacks in 2016 while earning an All-Big Ten Honourable Mention.
