Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
REGINA — With the additions of Micah Johnson and Stefen Banks, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are set on getting after quarterbacks this year.
Johnson, 34, has signed with the Roughriders team that he spent the 2019 and 2021 seasons with. Johnson enjoyed a productive 2022 campaign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. His seven sacks in 16 games were the most he’d had since the 2018 season, when he was a member of the Calgary Stampeders.
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Johnson added 24 defensive tackles as a key component in a Ticats’ defence that led the league in run defence. His productivity on the d-line draws parallels to another 34-year-old quarterback chaser, in fellow free agent Shawn Lemon.
Given the season that Johnson had in 2022 and the resumes of recently retired d-lineman like Odell Willis and John Bowman, it won’t be surprising to see Johnson officially hit his mid-30s and continue to produce at a high level and be an impact player that defensive coordinator Jason Shivers can lean on.
Johnson has 227 tackles, 54 sacks, two interceptions and six forced fumbles through his nine-year CFL career.
Banks (six-foot-one, 260 pounds) appeared in 23 games over the last two seasons as a member of the Stampeders. In a rotational role on the defensive line, the 25-year-old made 36 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, eight sacks and one forced fumble. In Week 6 of the 2021 season, Banks was named a Performer of the Week after registering three sacks, seven defensive tackles and one fumble recovery against the Edmonton Elks.
