The Saskatchewan Roughriders may have lost Canadian offensive lineman Philip Blake for the entire 2023 season.
The 37-year-old was placed on the six-game injured list last week with what head coach Craig Dickenson revealed was a torn pectoral muscle. Though Dickenson wouldn’t rule out Blake for the season but called it a “long-term injury” as he recently underwent surgery.
Blake signed with the Riders this off-season after playing two seasons for his hometown Toronto Argonauts. He moved from left guard to left tackle for the Boatmen in 2022 after injuries started piling up along the offensive line. Despite being an interior blocker for most of his career, he excelled at left tackle and helped his team win the Grey Cup.
The six-foot-two, 311-pounder was originally selected in the third round of the 2011 CFL Draft by the Montreal Alouettes but chose to return to Baylor University for his senior NCAA season. The following year, Blake was picked in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.
Blake spent two years in the NFL as a member of the Broncos and Arizona Cardinals before signing with the Als in 2015. He played 57 games for the team over four seasons before being traded to Saskatchewan in October 2018. The 37-year-old played 11 games over two seasons with the Riders.
Dickenson also indicated that franchise quarterback Trevor Harris is “fine” and that he expects the veteran to “practice fully” on Wednesday.
The Riders (1-0) are scheduled to host the Blue Bombers (1-0) on Friday with kickoff slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT. This will mark the first of three meetings between the prairie rivals this season with the other two coming in the Labour Day Classic and Banjo Bowl.
