Edmonton Elks lose punter Cody Grace to six-game injured list

Photo courtesy: Dustin Bowdige/B.C. Lions

The Edmonton Elks will be without punter Cody Grace long-term after he was placed on the six-game injured list ahead of Friday’s matchup with the Toronto Argonauts.

The Australian specialist was a non-participant in practice this week due to a knee injury. He has been the league’s busiest punter since joining the team in free agency, booting the ball 54 times for a gross average of 48.9 yards, three rouges, and two kicks placed inside the 10-yard line.

Grace has appeared in 74 career CFL games, punting 438 times for a gross average of 47.0 yards per. He is a two-time West Division all-star and earned an All-CFL selection in 2022.

The Elks have elected not to directly replace Grace, despite the addition of fellow Global punter Ethan Duane to the practice roster earlier this week. Canadian kicker Vincent Blanchard will instead pull double duty for the first time in his career. It is unclear who will perform holding duties for the team, though backup quarterbacks Tre Ford and Cole Snyder seem likely candidates.

In positive news, Friday will mark the return of Canadian safety Royce Metchie after a four-game hiatus due to an ankle injury. American Kenneth Logan Jr. has been bumped out of the starting lineup to accommodate the veteran, though he remains on the roster.

Also drawing in this week are Global linebacker Eteva Mauga-Clements and Canadian fullback Jacob Plamondon. Canadian linebacker Josiah Schakel will be a healthy scratch, while Canadian defensive back Jerrell Cummings returns to the practice roster.

The Edmonton Elks (2-6) will host the Toronto Argonauts (2-7) at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday, August 15 with kickoff slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT. The Argonauts are coming off a 46-42 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks, while the Elks completed a comeback win over the Montreal Alouettes at Percival Molson Stadium.

The weather forecast in Edmonton calls for a high of 13 degrees with cloudy conditions and a 40 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on TSN 1050 in Toronto and 880 CHED in Edmonton.