The Saskatchewan Roughriders didn’t wait long to address one of football’s most specialized positions. With long snapper Aaron Crawford missing the first two days of practice this week because of a knee injury, Saskatchewan signed veteran Canadian Mike Benson, adding one of the CFL’s most experienced specialists to the roster.
Head coach Corey Mace stopped short of calling Crawford’s situation serious but acknowledged the reality of managing depth at a position where options can disappear quickly.
“I don’t want to say it is a long-term thing,” Mace said. “That’s a position where a lot of teams don’t have a lot of backups for that role, so you gotta be really smart with that situation. So I just read it as that.”
The move brought one of the league’s most travelled players to Riderville. Born and raised in Winnipeg and developed with the Acadia Axemen, Benson arrives in Saskatchewan after previous CFL stops with Edmonton, Toronto, B.C., Ottawa, Montreal and Winnipeg.
For Benson, the opportunity came fast.
“You know, it’s pretty great,” Benson said after arriving. “It’s been a great experience so far. Everyone’s been really hospitable. All the teammates have been really great.”
The call came only a day before he arrived. Instead of flying, Benson elected to drive to Regina.
“Got the call yesterday and they asked if I wanted to fly or drive, and I chose to drive so that I can have the truck here and maybe bring a couple extra little accessories.”
That drive gave him time to shift mentally back into football mode.
“It gave me a lot of thinking to do, try to game plan, get back in the mindset and get some assurances in.”
Still, after more than a decade in the CFL, the transition didn’t feel overwhelming.
“When you’re doing it long enough, it doesn’t feel like that quick of a turnaround at all. It just felt like riding a bike today.”
Benson’s professional journey began in 2012 with Edmonton before moving through multiple organizations in the early years of his career. After a brief stop in Toronto in 2014, he found stability with the B.C. Lions.
Over five seasons with B.C., Benson appeared in 84 games and produced one of the more unusual highlights a long snapper can claim, recovering a muffed punt and returning it for a touchdown against Edmonton.
His career later took him to Ottawa in 2019 and Montreal in 2020, although the cancelled CFL season prevented him from appearing in a game for the Alouettes.
Then came a homecoming. Benson signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2021 and became part of one of the CFL’s dominant runs. He played every regular season and playoff game during Winnipeg’s Grey Cup championship season and remained with the club through three more Grey Cup appearances.
His time with the Blue Bombers ended in 2025 after he suffered an injury in the season opener and was eventually released later in the year. Now, Saskatchewan becomes stop number seven. Benson laughed when asked about completing the CFL checklist.
The Mike Benson around-the-world trip is almost complete. I had a few guys ask where I was before this, and I’m like, well, it’s easier to tell you where I haven’t been.”
Long snapper might be one of football’s least discussed positions, but it becomes front-page news quickly when continuity disappears. That’s why Saskatchewan moved quickly once Crawford was unavailable. Benson believes stepping into a new specialist's room is easier than people think.
Luckily, football, especially in Canada, has all the rules finite. The schemes and everything are similar. Nothing changes. I still throw the ball between my legs, and someone has to kick it.”
He also expects the transition to be smooth, working alongside Saskatchewan’s kicking group.
“I’m really fortunate. Both these guys are Australian. We had an Australian back in Winnipeg, too. They’re very easygoing, very understanding guys, specialists can be very particular, and these guys made it very easy for day one.”
For years, Benson experienced Mosaic Stadium from the visitor’s sideline. Now he gets to wear green.
“You do see the atmosphere here and how electric it can be, and the beautiful facility and stadium. And you wonder what it would be like.”
His first impression?
“So far, it’s absolute top tier, and I love it.”
Whether Benson’s stay in Saskatchewan becomes short-term insurance or something longer, the Roughriders now have a veteran specialist ready after a career spent proving he can adapt anywhere in the CFL.
