Riderville.com
REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be without receivers Chad Owens and Rob Bagg in Thursday’s season-opener, Chris Jones announced Tuesday.
Neither player suited up in the team’s pre-season finale vs. BC on Friday while Owens, one of the team’s marquee off-season additions, missed both exhibition games.
While Bagg is expected back in Week 2, Owens’ injury could be more serious.
“Bagg should be back I think next week and Owens should be an extended period of time,” Jones told Riderville.com.
The Riders take on the Montreal Alouettes in the first game of the 2017 CFL season on Thursday in Montreal.
Bagg, 32, recorded 658 yards and four touchdowns on 57 catches for the Riders last season. The ninth-year veteran will hope to suit up for the first game at new Mosaic Stadium in Week 2 vs. Winnipeg.
“The X-ray showed it was 98 per cent but when he went out the other day, he felt a little bit of twinge on it,” said Jones. “We just don’t want to do any further damage.”
The Owens injury especially hurts a Riders team that was relying on his veteran leadership as well as his ability on offence and in the return game. The 35-year-old is a long way removed from his Most Outstanding Player campaign in 2012 but was still productive for the Ticats last season, racking up 808 yards and five touchdowns on 58 receptions.
– With files from Riderville.com
