Pending free agent Shaq Evans has said goodbye to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The veteran receiver remains under contract with the team until noon ET on Tuesday, February 14 but took to social media on Sunday to announce his departure from Regina.
“Man I knew this day would come but wish it happened differently or didn’t happen so soon. I just want to thank you Rider Nation for all the support over the past 4 seasons! Saskatchewan was the first place I could call home as a professional I’ll never forget that! I want to thank coach Jones for believing in me and bringing me in back in 2018 and making me a starter in only my second game in Sask! The relationships I made with teammates, training staff, media, and coaches will be cherished! Wished things ended differently but everything happens for reason! Will always love rider nation and can’t wait to see you again [devil emoji]! #080623″
Last month, Evans told CKRM in Regina that he did not expect to be back in Saskatchewan. He could be headed to the Ottawa Redblacks according to a report from TSN’s Farhan Lalji, though that could not be independently confirmed by 3DownNation.
Evans has made 179 receptions for 2,830 yards and seven touchdowns over 52 career CFL games and was named a league all-star in 2019 following a breakout season during which he made 72 catches for 1,334 yards and five touchdowns.
However, the six-foot-one, 210-pound target has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, dressing for only 17 games since the league returned to the field coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. He suffered the same injury in back-to-back years, albeit on different legs: he broke a bone in his left leg in 2021 and a broken bone in his right leg in 2022.
The 31-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2014 NFL Draft and spent four years bouncing around the league with Jacksonville, New England, and Dallas before coming to the CFL in 2018.
Evans was 3DownNation‘s 13th-ranked receiver amongst pending free agents.
