Kian Schaffer-Baker ‘pretty close’ to return for Saskatchewan Roughriders

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Corey Mace is hopeful that Kian Schaffer-Baker is nearing a return for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Canadian receiver has been out of the lineup since suffering a knee injury against the Edmonton Elks in Week 9, which landed him on the six-game injured list. With that designation set to expire after next week, the outlook appears positive.

“I think pretty close (to a return). We’ll see,” the Riders’ head coach told the media on Friday. “Ultimately, I wasn’t smart enough to be a doctor, so I’ll lean on that. But, yeah, I’m hoping sometime soon.”

Schaffer-Baker was having a dominant campaign prior to his injury, registering 45 catches for 704 yards with four touchdowns in seven regular-season games in 2026. The 28-year-old still sits 10th in CFL receiving yardage entering Week 14, even though he hasn’t suited up in four games.

Originally selected in the fourth round of the 2020 CFL Draft out of the University of Guelph, Schaffer-Baker has been a consistent weapon when healthy, amassing 265 catches for 3,569 yards and 18 touchdowns in 64 career games. However, he’s been held back by an extensive injury history, completing a full 18-game campaign just once in 2022.

Th Mississauga, Ont., native underwent offseason hip surgery in 2023, which caused him to miss the first 10 weeks that year, and he was sidelined for 13 games in 2025 due to a foot injury. Mace declined to provide additional information regarding Schaffer-Baker’s injury this season, noting only that it wasn’t as bad as initially feared.

“Just lower body stuff, man,” he said. “Not season-ending, which we were happy about.”

The Roughriders will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Labour Day Classic on Sunday, September 6, before travelling to the Manitoba capital for the annual Banjo Bowl rematch on Saturday, September 12. Schaffer-Baker’s initial stint on the six-game injured list will end during the bye in Week 16, before the team returns to action against the B.C. Lions on Friday, September 25, although he could be removed early.