Ottawa Redblacks add former NFL player Kyron Johnson, two others

Photo: Philadelphia Eagles

The Ottawa Redblacks have signed three American players to their practice roster, including defensive linemen Kyron Johnson and CJ Nunnally IV, and defensive back Sage Ryan. The announcement was made on Wednesday.

Johnson was a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played 22 regular-season games over stints with the Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans, recording eight total tackles.

The six-foot-one, 235-pound native of Arlington, Texas most recently played for the DC Defenders of the UFL. He played collegiately at the University of Kansas, recording 191 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, five pass knockdowns, eight forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. He was named second-team All-Big 12 in 2021.

Nunnally IV finished his collegiate career at Purdue University in 2025, where he recorded 44 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one interception.

The six-foot-three, 265-pound defender had a stint with the Atlanta Falcons after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Ryan finished his collegiate career at Ole Miss in 2025, where he tallied 26 total tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and four pass knockdowns. The six-foot, 200-pound defender previously played at Louisiana State University.

The Ottawa Redblacks (0-12) will visit the Calgary Stampeders (5-8) at McMahon Stadium on Saturday, September 19 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Last week, the Redblacks suffered a narrow loss to the Toronto Argonauts, while the Stampeders got blown out by the Edmonton Elks.

The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on TSN 1200 in Ottawa or 770 CHQR in Calgary.