sports
Calgary Stampeders sign receiver Ajou Ajou after CFL ends six-game suspension with conditions
The Calgary Stampeders signed 24-year-old receiver Ajou Ajou on July 1. The signing followed the CFL's conditional reinstatement of the player one day earlier after a six-game suspension.
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The Calgary Stampeders signed receiver Ajou Ajou on July 1, 2026. The 24-year-old from Brooks, Alberta, had been reinstated by the CFL the previous day with conditions after serving a suspension for violating the league's gender-based violence and harassment policy. The CFL suspended Ajou Ajou on April 16, 2026, for the pre-season and six regular-season games.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders released him the same day. The suspension stemmed from a third-party investigation into allegations of aggressive and unwelcome physical contact with multiple women at a Regina restaurant on November 18, 2025, the day of the Grey Cup parade.
Ajou Ajou completed 15 mandatory counselling sessions with a gender-based violence expert, underwent a psychological assessment by an independent expert, and met with CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston before reinstatement.
The CFL stated his return is conditional and noted he faces a potential lifetime ban for any further violation of the policy. The Stampeders said they completed their own due diligence and player evaluation before signing him. The team stated it believes in providing a second chance and expects Ajou Ajou to demonstrate the qualities of a good teammate and upstanding member of the organization and community.
Ajou Ajou's suspension includes the Stampeders' July 2 game against the Toronto Argonauts. He is eligible to practise and attend team meetings at the club's discretion. The soonest he could appear on a game roster is August 13, when the Stampeders host the B.C.
Lions. Ajou Ajou recorded 22 catches for 212 yards in eight regular-season games for the Roughriders in 2025 after his release by the NFL's Indianapolis Colts on August 26. He caught two passes for 13 yards in the Grey Cup win over the Montreal Alouettes.
He was drafted by the Roughriders in the seventh round of the 2024 CFL Draft and has 42 catches for 519 yards and two touchdowns in 20 regular-season games. Head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson declined to comment on the signing at the morning walkthrough on July 1 but referred to an impending team statement.
