It appears A.J. Ouellette’s job with the Saskatchewan Roughriders is safe despite underperforming his big-money free-agent contract this past season.
“He’s under contract and on our team, so if you’re asking if we’re going to cut him, that is not in the plans,” general manager Jeremy O’Day told the media this week. “A.J. is someone that we believe is a very good player and he’s a big part of our team. We’re definitely committed to having A.J. as part of our team.”
The five-foot-eight, 210-pound running back dressed for only eight games in his first season in Riderville, recording 130 carries for 550 yards, 16 catches for 147 yards, and scoring three touchdowns. He averaged only 4.2 yards per carry, which ranked last in the CFL among players with over 100 carries.
The native of Covington, Oh. signed a two-year contract with the Roughriders last off-season, becoming the CFL’s highest-paid American ball carrier. He earned $160,500 in hard money in 2024 and is currently scheduled to make $170,500 next season, including a looming $40,000 off-season bonus.
With Ouellette slated to turn 30 years old in July, O’Day refused to discuss whether that contract was being considered for renegotiation.
“I wouldn’t discuss a player’s contract or where we are with talking about a player that’s under contract. If anything did happen, I think you guys are always well aware of when something happens,” he said. “We’ll keep those discussions on financial aspects between us and the players, just out of respect for the players.”
Ouellette’s production was far from what he managed over four seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, rushing 322 times for 1,782 yards — averaging 5.5 yards per carry — and scoring 13 touchdowns. The powerful runner was limited by nagging hip injuries dating back to training camp and played in just two regular-season contests after Week 7.
Head coach Corey Mace indicated that he was “extremely confident” in Ouellette’s ability to have a bounce-back campaign in 2025, suggesting certain changes to his training regimen could make a significant difference.
“It’s kind of crazy when you have to ask your running back to stop squatting 700 pounds,” Mace chuckled. “That’s kind of the conversations with A.J. — he’s just such a hard worker. But at this point of his career, he’s got to make sure that it’s conducive to him being as healthy as possible and trying to avoid some things, but credit to him. I know he’s going to take it seriously.”
Ouellette saw his numbers improve during Saskatchewan’s postseason run, rushing 24 times for 121 yards and three touchdowns over two games. While he was never the dominant force the team seemingly anticipated he’d be, the veteran bruiser was credited as the difference in the Riders’ West Semi-Final win over the B.C. Lions.
“Having him back, certainly in the playoffs, I thought definitely helped us. He had a great game in the West Semi. I know what it means for us to have him out there and all the things that he does outside of yards per carry that’s an asset to our team, that we hold in high regard,” Mace said. “It’s not always just about when the ball is in his hands.”
The Riders have former NFL Draft pick Ryquell Armstead under contract for next season on a deal that will pay him close to the league minimum. The 28-year-old rushed for 862 yards in 13 games split between Saskatchewan and Ottawa last year, endearing himself to fans with a 200-yard rushing performance against Calgary in Week 16.
However, despite the significant cost, both of the team’s key decision-makers remain committed to running things back with Ouellette, citing his intangibles and improving health.
“I don’t have a crystal ball. All of our players, you don’t know how they’re going to perform when they go into the season, but I do feel like he’s going to be healthier than he was coming into training camp last year,” O’Day insisted. “I think that he had some problems with his hips when he came into camp and tried to fight through it for most of the year, battled and really did everything he could to try to get healthy for us. I feel like he’s going to be healthier when he comes to camp, which should give him a better start.’
The Riders will kick off the 2025 season on Thursday, June 5 at 9:00 p.m. ET when they host the Ottawa Redblacks.