Ottawa Redblacks rule top special teams tackler James Peter out for season: report

Photo courtesy: Ottawa Redblacks

The Ottawa Redblacks will be without core Canadian special teamer James Peter for the entire 2026 season after he suffered an ACL injury, according to a report from TSN 1200’s A.J. Jakubec.

Peter, who turns 27 on Saturday, appeared in 17 games for the Redblacks in 2025, leading the team with 19 special teams tackles and finishing eighth in the CFL. He also added five defensive tackles.

The homegrown linebacker was originally selected by the team with the 12th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 CFL Draft. In 42 career games, he has produced five defensive tackles, 34 special teams tackles, and one forced fumble.

The five-foot-nine, 220-pound defender attended the University of Ottawa, where he amassed 122.5 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 30 games. He was named a first-team U Sports All-Canadian in 2022.

The Ottawa Redblacks (0-0) will host the Edmonton Elks (0-0) on Saturday, June 6, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Both teams missed the playoffs in 2025.

The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for a high of 26 degrees and a 40 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 880 CHED in Edmonton and TSN 1200 in Ottawa.