Esks.com
There’s no point in mincing words. Eskimos fans and CFL observers were looking forward to the battle for the number one quarterback spot in Edmonton between Matt Nichols and Mike Reilly.
| Details: Nichols Tears ACL |
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The Eskimos announced Tuesday that QB Matt Nichols sustained a torn ACL during last Friday’s loss to the Riders. He will undergo surgery and is out for the season. |
Nichols fought his way back from a dislocated ankle suffered in last season’s Eastern Semi-Final vs. the Toronto Argonauts and arrived healthy as ever to training camp.
Reilly, meanwhile, was acquired by the Esks in early February from the BC Lions to provide greater depth and competition at the pivot position.
GM Ed Hervey was smiling in the off-season about the potential of his quarterbacks. Now, however, Hervey is probably still smiling but not thanks to the latest developments in what he hoped would be a battle for the ages under centre.
Unfortunately, the quarterback competition is over and not the way anybody wanted it to end.
Nichols’ season is over even before it really got started, suffering a torn ACL in the Esks’ pre-season game vs. the Roughriders.
Nichols tried to make a tackle off an interception when he was blocked on his own goal line by now released defensive lineman Kenny Rowe. His right foot planted and his knee gave way.
So for the second time in eight months, Nichols will have to undergo another extensive rehab process. Despite the setback, the 26-year-old is determined to come back even stronger.
“Obviously it’s tough but for some reason I’m being tested a little bit,” Nichols said. “I don’t think you’ll find a more positive person about it. Honestly, I describe it as another obstacle in front of me.”
He’ll have surgery to repair his torn ACL in about three to five weeks once the swelling finally subsides. The general recovery time for a torn ACL is seven to nine months, which would give him plenty of time before the start of CFL training camp in 2014 to recuperate.
It might also mean the Eskimos could be spared losing a quarterback in the upcoming expansion draft to the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
By that logic, you very well might see the same quarterback competition again in a year from now between Nichols and Reilly.
For now, there is no more competition. The ball is now firmly in the hands of Mike Reilly, who is now the team’s starting quarterback for opening day on June 29 against the Roughriders.
Reilly has only three career starts under his belt in his three years as a backup to Travis Lulay with the Lions.
Reilly has learned from perhaps the best offensive coordinator in the CFL in Jacques Chapdalaine and the best quarterback in the league in Lulay.
| Reed knows Nichols will return |
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“There’s no doubt that he is going to rehab successfully and be in the right state of mind to physically be ready to play at some point next year. He has been an absolute professional since he stepped onto this field and we feel very proud to have him be a part of our football team and continue to be a part of our football team.” – Kavis Reed |
The 28-year-old says he never looked at his situation with Nichols as a “competition” for the number one job.
He wasn’t wishing the worst for Nichols nor was never worried about how many touchdowns passes and interceptions he or Nichols threw. Reilly says he and Nichols only tried to push each other to the best player they could be.
“It’s unfortunate with Matt that he’s out early but we have to move forward to get ready for the season and that entails getting everybody on the same page, myself, the running backs and the offensive line,” Reilly said.
“If nothing else it’ll give the guys a little bit of clarity about who’s going to be in the huddle with them.”
Reilly has been saying all the right things since arriving in Edmonton. He’s spoken passionately about how he believes he’s ready to be a starter in the CFL. Words are one thing, but now his bite needs to have the same impact as his bark.
The bigger question now is what is the pecking order between Kerry Joseph, Jacory Harris, and Jonathon Crompton?
The original plan was to have either Reilly or Nichols be the backup with Joseph as the third stringer. The club will use the final pre-season game this Friday in Vancouver to hopefully sort out the mess behind Reilly.
Another question is do you go back to the veteran or do you elevate one of the two rookies to the backup role behind Reilly?
The bet is probably to go back to Joseph and rely on the experience factor. Both Harris and Crompton have showed tremendous poise and understanding of the game and have to be very careful in how you manage the development of young quarterbacks. Too much too soon could ruin a young passer.
One thing is for certain, Reilly needs to stay healthy which means there’s even more emphasis on the Eskimos offensive line.
You asked for it Mr. Reilly, the keys are all yours.
