Defensive lineman Mike Rose got the last word. Without saying anything.
Rose won a Grey Cup last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who signed him after he was unceremoniously dumped following a 10-year stint with the Calgary Stampeders.
That pretty much says everything, doesn't it? And maybe Rose would like to gloat a bit as the Roughriders prepare for their first CFL meeting this season against the Stampeders on Saturday in Calgary.
Nope.
“We can’t say anything because they beat us,” Rose said following a practice this week at Mosaic Stadium. “It’s a great football team.”
Despite winning a championship last season, Rose hasn’t yet defeated his former team. They met twice last year and Calgary handily won both matchups. Calgary was the only team Saskatchewan didn’t beat in 2025.
“They got a great quarterback, great running back, great O-line, a great defence,” said Rose. “I’ve got some friends on their D-line.
“A good coach. I can’t say nothing bad about them. If people beat you, you can’t say nothing bad about them.”
Lord knows the media has tried.
Throughout the 2025 season reporters tried coaxing disparaging, inflammatory, critical or nasty comments from Rose about his former team whenever they were slated to play.
Even though the Stampeders had released Rose, a 2024 all-star, mere days before paying him a pre-season contract bonus, he barely budged. Rose did once admit, “I wanna be where I’m wanted.” But that was the extent of his commentary.
Now he’s just being gracious, the wily veteran on Saskatchewan’s rebuilt defensive line after signing a new contract in January.
Rose is actually the only returning starter on a unit that lost Malik Carney as a free agent to the Edmonton Elks, didn’t re-sign Shane Ray and had Micah Jonson retire to become Saskatchewan’s defensive line coach. Backups Habakkuk Baldonado and Charbel Dabire also departed as free agents.
Last year’s defensive line sometimes rotated nine players through the four spots. This year started with seven in the rotation during a 31-27, season-opening victory against the B.C. Lions.
Ends James Vaughters, a free agent from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and rookie Desmond Evans each sacked Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke once.
“I thought they did pretty dang good,” said Riders head coach Corey Mace. “People are always gonna just look at the sack number, but there’s more to it than that.
“They rushed well together. Like anybody else, there’s certainly things they can get better at. But they’re a selfless group with some young guys who are just sponges, taking the coaching. They’re not feeling the pressure of ‘I gotta make too many plays outside of doing my job.’ That bodes well for a good front.”
