American Jacob Brammer will come off the practice squad this week and fill the void at right tackle for the Roughriders on Friday night
Right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick — who was injured in Saskatchewan’s 35-20 loss to the B.C. Lions in Week 6 — has been ruled out for an extended period of time with a quadriceps injury.
“It’s unfortunately going to be long term for him,” said Riders’ head coach Corey Mace. “Not going to rule out the end of the year but it’s going to be long term.
“It’s unfortunate for him. It’s unfortunate for everybody obviously.”
American rookie Jacob Brammer will come off the practice squad this week and fill the void at right tackle on Friday night when the Roughriders host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN).
“It means a lot,” Brammer, 25, said after practice on Tuesday. “This is why you to come to play.
“It sucks losing (Hardrick) but I’ve learned a lot from him and he’s been a great mentor.”
Brammer, who signed with the Riders in December 2023, played right tackle at Vanderbilt University in 2022 and put together a strong training camp, which is why the team kept him around for a situation like this.
“He showed really well in the pre-season and a lot of things that we ID of what we try to do, he does naturally as well,” said Mace.
“I’ve been preparing like I’m going to (start) so now it’s just time to put it all into play,” added the 6-foot-4, 301-pound Brammer, a Tennessee native.
After being a CFL all-star with the Blue Bombers in 2021 and 2023, the 34-year-old Hardrick was a key free agent signing by Saskatchewan this off-season and was a key figure on their revamped offensive line.
And while the Roughriders will miss Hardrick’s presence on the field and in the locker room, the 6-foot-5, 317-pounder is going to stay with the team while he recovers.
“Talking with Yosh, he’s going to do his rehab and stuff here so having that personality around is still huge for us as a team,” said Mace. “We still get his voice (and) still get his leadership and his presence.”
Riders add lineman
The Roughriders also signed American offensive lineman Nick Jones on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder played three seasons at Mississippi State, making 25 starts for the Bulldogs.
Harris update
Quarterback Trevor Harris continues to be sidelined with a knee injury that saw him be placed on the six-game injured list, but the 38-year-old veteran has been throwing on the sideline during practice this week.
“No real update other than he’s progressing extremely well,” said Mace. “Knowing Trev and his mentality of how he attacks things, I wouldn’t be shocked if the guy wasn’t going through the full six weeks.
“He’s trending extremely well for us … He’s doing everything we expected and all signs are pointing positive for Trevor.”
With Harris out, Shea Patterson will get his third career start this week.
After picking up his first win in his first start against the Toronto Argonauts on July 4, Patterson — who completed 15-of-23 passes for 192 yards in the win — suffered his first loss as a starter against the Lions last week, in a game where he completed 17-of-25 passes for 278 yards.
“Just continue to push what he’s been doing,” said Mace. “He’s consistently gotten better.
“He’s making the right reads, man, so allowing him just to be him is the best thing.”
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