The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced Monday morning that Micah Johnson has retired from football and will become the Green and White’s new defensive line coach.
Johnson started his professional career in 2010 in the N-F-L with Miami, then came north to the C-F-L for 13 seasons. He started with Calgary and played five seasons with the Riders in 2019, 2021 and 2023 through 25. In addition, the Roughriders signed a pair of American hopefuls in defensive lineman Jaylen Pate and defensive back Garnett Hollis Junior. Following are the news releases from the Riders…..
DATE: January 5, 2026
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR26-02
FROM CHAMPION TO COACH: MICAH JOHNSON RETIRES
Three-time Grey Cup winner brings 13 years of CFL experience to Roughriders’ coaching staff
After 13 seasons of disrupting CFL offences, defensive lineman Micah Johnson is calling it a career. Known league-wide for his power, consistency and leadership in the trenches, Johnson built a career that included three Grey Cup championships, five All-CFL selections and seven divisional All-CFL nods. He retires as one of the most respected interior defenders of his era.
Johnson’s professional football journey began in 2010, when he made his NFL regular-season debut with the Miami Dolphins. After spending time in the NFL, he made the move north in 2013 and quickly found his footing in the Canadian game, beginning his CFL career with the Calgary Stampeders. During his time in Calgary, Johnson developed into one of the league’s premier defensive tackles, earning multiple All-CFL recognitions and playing a key role in several Grey Cup runs, including championship wins in 2014 and 2018. All told, Johnson spent six seasons (2013-2018) and played in 81 games with the Stampeders, recording 158 defensive tackles, 41 sacks and two interceptions while winning two of his three Grey Cup championships.
From there, Johnson’s career brought him to Saskatchewan as a marquee free-agent signing in 2019. He played 80 games in Green and White over five seasons (2019, 2021, 2023–25), including back-to-back All-CFL seasons (2024 and 2025). Last season, Johnson defied age and became the first 37-year-old defensive player in league history to earn All-CFL distinction. He registered six sacks for the second consecutive season while anchoring one of the league’s most formidable run defences, adding 20 defensive tackles (including two for a loss). In 2024, he suited up for all 18 games, posting 28 defensive tackles, four tackles for loss, and six sacks.
In addition to his leadership role on the defensive line, Johnson took on expanded responsibilities beginning in 2024, stepping in as an emergency offensive lineman during the Labour Day Classic and playing two-and-a-half quarters at right guard. He also played a key role on the Club’s short-yardage unit in 2025, helping quarterback Tommy Stevens convert 33 of 36 short-yardage rushes during the regular season for a conversion rate of 91.7 per cent. Johnson also cleared a path for the first of Stevens’ two touchdown runs during the 2025 Grey Cup win.
Before returning to the Roughriders in 2023, Johnson spent the 2022 season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, appearing in 16 regular season games and recording 24 defensive tackles (five for a loss), and seven sacks. All told, Johnson retires having appeared in 177 regular season games across three teams, tallying 309 defensive tackles and 71 sacks.
But Johnson’s impact cannot be measured by statistics alone. Routinely commanding double- and even triple-team attention, he consistently freed up teammates to make plays of their own. Most recently, this influence helped the Club rank third in the CFL in sacks in 2025 and second in the West in sacks in 2024.
Beyond his on-field accomplishments, Johnson has long been known for his work ethic and football intellect. He also joined the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation as a Player Ambassador, travelling across the province to teach students the importance of mental wellness and literacy through the Win with Wellness and Rider Reading programs, work he will continue through the 2025 off-season.
Johnson and his family, who moved to Regina full time in 2023, will remain in Green and White as he begins the next chapter of his football career as the Club’s Defensive Line Coach.
DATE: January 5, 2026
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR26-03
RIDERS ADD TWO ON DEFENCE
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American defensive back Garnett Hollis Jr. and American defensive lineman Jaylen Pate. Pate and Hollis Jr. were teammates at Northwestern in 2022 and 2023.
Hollis Jr. (6’1-199) had NFL tryouts with the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills after appearing in the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl. As a graduating player at West Virginia in 2024, he recorded 46 total tackles (one for a loss), six pass deflections and one fumble recovery in 13 games. He had a 4.51-second 40-yard dash, a 36½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-5-inch broad jump at the Big 12 Pro Day in March of 2025.
While at Northwestern from 2020 to 2023, the Tennessee-born Hollis Jr. received most of his playing time over the final two seasons. Over that span he played 21 games earning 73 defensive tackles, two interceptions, eight pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Pate (6’3-272) spent three collegiate seasons (2022-24) at Northwestern, registering 55 total tackles (nine for a loss), three sacks, one forced fumble and one pass deflection in 33 games. He tallied three sacks in 2023 and five tackles for a loss in 2024. At Northwestern’s Pro Day in March of 2025, he registered a 36-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot-3-inch broad jump and an unofficial time of 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
The Chicago-born Pate debuted in college football with Wyoming in 2020. He made seven tackles (one for a loss) and one sack in six games after redshirting the previous year.
