Mario Anderson Jr.will not be part of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ roster as they begin their defence of the Grey Cup title.The American running back was one of 19 players released by the club as CFL teams finalized their rosters ahead of the 2026 regular season.Anderson, who stands five-foot-eight and weighs 205 pounds, appeared in nine regular-season games for Saskatchewan during the previous season.In that time, he recorded 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt, while also contributing four receptions for 13 yards.His rookie CFL campaign ended on the one-game injured list, and he did not participate in the team’s Grey Cup victory over the Montreal Alouettes.During the recent pre-season, Anderson played in both exhibition games, rushing 10 times for 65 yards and adding three catches for 18 yards.

Despite these contributions, he did not make the final roster as CFL teams were required to reduce their active squads to between 44 and 45 players, while also meeting ratio rules regarding Canadian and international players.

The Roughriders also made several other roster moves, including placing Canadian defensive lineman Benoit Marion on the one-game injured list, while offensive lineman Darius Bell and receiver Dylan Djete were moved to the six-game injured list.Additionally, 13 players were assigned to the practice roster, including global player Tyron Vrede.Across the league, other teams also finalized cuts.The Montreal Alouettes released 19 players, including quarterbacks James Morgan and Arnaud Desjardins.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers also trimmed their roster, releasing 25 players, including receiver Jackson Tachinski and veteran offensive lineman Kendall Randolph, who had started every regular-season game the previous year.Teams across the CFL are now set to begin the 2026 season, with Saskatchewan opening their campaign at home against the B.C.Lions on June 13.