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“He’s a guy who has been a life-long Rider and to open a new stadium … sure he wants to play,’’ Jones said. “We just have to make sure that he’s healthy before we put him on the field.’’

Carter was looking to make an impact in his regular-season debut with the Riders. It happened that his first game with the Riders was against the Alouettes, who had released Carter late in the 2016 season.

On June 22, Carter was the target of nine pass attempts. He had one drop and what might have been two other receptions knocked down by Montreal’s Jonathon Mincy.

“Some of the things just didn’t go my way,’’ said Carter, who signed with the Riders as a free agent during the off-season. “I could have played a little bit differently going into the game, but I can’t think about it right now. I have to think about Winnipeg.’’

Carter is among the league’s most dynamic and explosive receivers. He wants to show he can be that with the Riders.

“I definitely want to do that because the last game wasn’t my best showing,’’ said Carter, who has 187 receptions for 2,889 yards and 17 touchdowns in three-plus CFL seasons. “Coming out early and doing something big is really what I want to do.’’

The 32-year-old Bagg would also like an opportunity to do something big this season. Those plans have been on hold since Bagg injured his ankle during a 25-25 pre-season tie with the Blue Bombers.

“It’s tough because it was just one of those things and it was a football play,’’ Bagg said. “I came into training camp feeling great and my body was holding up great. (My ankle) got rolled up on during the game. It wasn’t something that I could train any differently to prevent and now I’m missing time over it. It’s frustrating and I’m just doing everything that I can to get healthy.’’