Saskatchewan Roughriders sign All-CFL receiver KeeSean Johnson to multi-year contract extension: sources

Arthur Ward/CFL.ca

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American receiver KeeSean Johnson to a two-year contract extension through the 2027 season, per sources. He was scheduled to become a free agent in February.

The 29-year-old recorded 89 receptions for 1,159 yards with four touchdowns in 16 regular-season games with the Riders in 2025. He played a major role in Saskatchewan’s 12-6 first-place finish in the West Division and earned All-CFL recognition for his efforts.

Johnson suffered a knee injury in the first half during Week 19 against the Toronto Argonauts, which caused him to miss two regular-season games, the West Final, and 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.

The six-foot-one, 201-pound target is in his prime and has averaged more than 68 yards per game during his time north of the border. He was a key target for quarterback Trevor Harris and led the CFL with 39 second-down conversions last season.

As a CFL rookie in 2024, Johnson posted 56 catches for 746 yards with five majors in 12 regular-season games. Through 28 career games in Canada, he’s produced 142 receptions for 1,905 yards with nine majors.

The Riders added Johnson to the team’s exclusive negotiation list on September 16, 2023, which was less than three weeks after he was released among the Buffalo Bills final training camp cuts in August.

Johnson finished his collegiate career at Fresno State University as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (275) and receiving yards (3,463). He produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in his junior and senior seasons, including 95 catches for 1,340 yards and eight touchdowns during 14 games in his final year with the Bulldogs.

The Mountain View, Calif. native was selected in the sixth round, 174th overall during the 2019 NFL Draft. He played 18 games for the Arizona Cardinals, starting five and grabbing 36 passes for 360 yards with one touchdown. He also had stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, and Bills, earning over $2 million USD.

Johnson, who has 4.53 speed in the 40-yard dash, played for Palo Alto High School in California, the same high school as three-time first-team All-Pro Davante Adams.

Saskatchewan finished first in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 12-6 record, finishing first in the West Division for the first time since 2019. The team went on to defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, marking the team’s first championship in 12 years. Trevor Harris went 11-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

The Roughriders ranked second in net offence, second in net defence, and tied for third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The team’s leading rusher was A.J. Ouellette with 1,222 yards, leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and leading tackler was A.J. Allen with 91 tackles. Saskatchewan finished second in attendance with average crowds of 28,427, which was a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year.