B.C. Lions to start Kaidon Salter against Winnipeg Blue Bombers: report

Photo: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions

The B.C. Lions are expected to start Kaidon Salter at quarterback against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, TSN’s Farhan Lalji has reported. JC Abbott, who attended practice on 3DownNation’s behalf on Monday, reported that Salter took all the first-team reps.

The six-foot-one, 195-pound passer played in relief of Chase Brice this past week in a 26-12 loss to the Toronto Argonauts. He completed nine-of-fifteen pass attempts for 121 yards and rushed four times for 12 yards in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter.

Head coach Buck Pierce stopped short of naming a starter after Monday’s practice, though he acknowledged he

“I have a pretty good feeling of where we’re going to go (at quarterback),” Pierce told reporters. “Today was more of a mental day for us, get the blood flowing a little bit, get the guys moving around. We’ll have a better idea after tomorrow’s practice.”

“Whatever decision the coaches make, I know that I’ll be ready,” said Salter. “I feel like the team trusts me enough to go out there and do what I have to do for us to try to come out with this victory on Thursday.”

The 23-year-old completed his collegiate career at the University of Colorado in 2025, replacing Shedeur Sanders as the team’s starter. He went 3-6, completing 62.3 percent of his passes for 1,414 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 356 yards and five scores.

“I think (Salter) plays with some moxie. I think he plays with a little bit of confidence,” said Pierce.

“He’s a guy that can create. He’s confident with his arm. He’s still learning in terms of the game and where to keep your eyes and things like that. I think the biggest thing for young guys is just make sure you communicate well with others. You continue to execute the things you need to execute, and do your best to stay within the within the frame of the offence.”

Salter spent the previous four seasons of his collegiate career at Liberty University, where he went 23-6 as a starter and was named first-team All-Conference USA, the Conference USA MVP, and the Conference USA Championship Game MVP in 2023.

The native of Dallas, Texas completed 58.7 percent of his passes with the Flames for 5,889 yards, 56 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, and rushed for 2,006 yards and 21 scores.

Salter ran a 4.65-second forty-yard dash at his pro day in March. He also recorded a 7.23-second three-cone drill, 4.26-second shuttle, 35.5-inch vertical jump, and a ten-foot, six-inch broad jump.

According to B.C.’s official injury report, Nathan Rourke was a limited participant. The CFL’s reigning Most Outstanding Player is continuing to recover from an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

Offensive linemen Joshua Donovan (knee) and Brandon Yates (foot) and linebacker Adam Konar (thigh) were non-participants on Monday. Running back James Butler (foot), receiver Jermaine Jackson (thigh), defensive lineman Levi Bell (hip), and defensive backs Cristophe Beaulieu (knee) and T.J. Lee (thigh) were each limited.

Full participants included receivers Stanley Berryhill (thigh), Jevon Cottoy (thigh), and Nate Demontagnac (shoulder), offensive lineman Andrew Peirson (shoulder), and defensive back Garry Peters (knee).

The B.C. Lions (1-5) will visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-3) at Princess Auto Stadium on Thursday, July 30 with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT. The Lions lost a one-sided game to the Toronto Argonauts last week, while the Blue Bombers suffered a blowout defeat to the Calgary Stampeders.

The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of 30 degrees and a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver or 680 CJOB in Winnipeg.