Emilus snags one-year contract extension from Roughriders

Samuel Emilus’ breakout 2023 season has earned him a contract extension.

The CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders announced Monday they had signed the 26-year-old receiver to a one-year extension that will keep him with the team through the 2025 season.

In 2023 — his second season in the CFL — Emilus had 70 catches for 1,097 yards and six touchdowns in 18 regular-season games. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder ranked in the top 10 in the CFL in catches (ninth), receiving yards (eighth) and touchdowns (tied for fifth).

He was the Roughriders’ nominee for the CFL award as outstanding Canadian.

As a CFL rookie in 2022, the Montreal product had just 10 catches for 165 yards in 15 regular-season games.

Emilus was selected by the Roughriders in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2022 CFL draft out of Louisiana Tech University.

According to the Roughriders, Emilus set a team record for Canadian receivers, posting a 1,000-yard season earlier in his career than any other Canuck in team history. He beat the previous mark set by Ray Elgaard, who reached the milestone in his third season with Saskatchewan.

Emilus is just the fifth Canadian receiver in Riders history to post a 1,000-yard season, joining Elgaard, Jeff Fairholm, Chris Getzlaf and Andy Fantuz.