The Toronto Argonauts have three players in COVID protocol who may not be eligible to play in the upcoming Labour Day Classic.
Dariusz Bladek, Philip Blake, and Ricky Collins Jr. were added to the COVID list on Thursday and remained on it as of Friday. Players in COVID protocol have either tested positive for the virus or been deemed close contacts of someone who has.
Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie remains hopeful that the trio will be eligible to play in Monday’s game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, though it remains unclear whether or not they will.
Bladek started Toronto’s first three games of the season at right guard, while Blake is the team’s starting centre. Collins Jr. has made a major impact in the receiving corps and leads the team with 207 yards on twelve receptions.
All three players were added to the roster via free agency with Bladek and Blake coming over from Saskatchewan in February 2020 and Collins Jr. coming out of retirement to sign with Toronto in June 2021.
The Argos visit the Ticats on Monday for a 1:00 p.m. ET start in the annual Labour Day Classic. Hamilton has won the rivalry game six years in a row dating back to 2014.
The Edmonton Elks have had 16 players enter COVID protocol since the start of the 2021 season. This marks the first time another team has had players enter protocol since the season began on Aug. 5.
