The Canadian Football League appears to have lost another veteran quarterback for the foreseeable future, after Saskatchewan Roughriders’ starter Trevor Harris was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of his team’s game against the Calgary Stampeders.
On second-and-17 with 9:25 remaining in the game, the 37-year-old took off on a rare run. He was stopped just short of the marker by Darius Williams but a lunging Derek Wiggan rolled up on him from behind, causing him to grab his right leg in considerable pain.
Methinks we have seen the last of Trevor Harris for a while. That does not look good. #Riders pic.twitter.com/BPAdZ5ZWeZ
— Mitchell Blair (@mblairYQR) July 16, 2023
Harris was immediately tended to by the training staff and remained down for a significant amount of time, as concerned teammates looked on. He was unable to leave under his own power and had to be carted to the locker room.
Backup Mason Fine took over with the Riders trailing 20-17 and would go on to lose 33-31. Harris completed 16-of-22 passes for 122 yards prior to exiting the game.
After the game, head coach Craig Dickenson could provide no update on Harris’ status, saying he was still being evaluated. He admitted the injury did not look good, but would not jump to conclusions.
“We don’t want to lose him, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope it’s not a season-ending injury,” he told reporters.
The Riders acquired Harris in free agency, signing him to a two-year contract valued at over $1 million dollars. He entered this week third in CFL passing yards, having completed 88-of-133 passes for 1,159 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions in four games.
Harris threw for 4,157 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with the Montreal Alouettes last season, leading the team to an 8-7 record over 15 regular season starts. The 36-year-old also helped Montreal win the club’s first postseason game since 2014, throwing for 243 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 28-17 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Semi-Final.
The six-foot-three, 212-pound passer started his CFL career in 2012 as a member of the Toronto Argonauts. He has since played for the Ottawa Redblacks, Edmonton Elks, and Als, throwing for 28,610 yards, 154 touchdowns, and 71 interceptions over 161 games. He has also rushed for 979 yards and nine touchdowns along the ground.
The Riders are next scheduled to visit the B.C. Lions (4-1) on Saturday, July 22.
