THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — REDBLACKS fans didn’t have to wait long to see Trevor Harris in action; now they’ll get to see more.
The team confirmed Monday that Henry Burris has been placed on the one-game injured list, meaning Harris will make his first start as an Ottawa REDBLACK on Thursday in Montreal.
Burris injured the pinky finger on his throwing hand during the third quarter of Saturday’s season-opening 45-37 overtime win over the Edmonton Eskimos.
The injury happened on a play-action fake to running back Travon Van, then on the next play Burris couldn’t handle the snap and had to fall on the ball. The 2015 Most Outstanding Player exited the game after throwing for 251 yards, one touchdown pass and an interception on 23-of-31 attempts.
According to AJ Jakubec of TSN 1200 Radio Ottawa, Head Coach Rick Campbell does not anticipate the injury being long-term.
Henry Burris will see a specialist for his injured finger tomorrow. Rick Campbell doesn’t anticipate it being long term. #RNation #CFL
— AJ Jakubec (@AJonSports) June 27, 2016
Harris, acquired as a free agent by the REDBLACKS after leading the CFL in touchdown passes with the Toronto Argonauts a season ago, picked up right where Burris left off against Edmonton, throwing for 292 yards and three touchdowns on 17-of-19 passing.
In leading his team to a dramatic overtime win in the Grey Cup rematch, it didn’t take long for one of the CFL’s biggest insurance policies to pay off in the first week of the 2016 season.
“People always talk about how the backup quarterback needs to prepare like the starter even though they’re not,” Campbell told TSN 1200 on Monday morning, “but you could see it was very evident when he went into the game that he had prepared like he was going to be the starter and was ready to go and good on him for being ready to go.
“It takes all 44 guys on the roster to get it done and that was definitely true Saturday night.”
Campbell has reiterated that Burris, if healthy, is his starting quarterback, but with the short week and a Tuesday visit with the specialist on tap, getting him in the lineup for Thursday didn’t prove feasible.
The REDBLACKS will look to start 2-0 on Thursday in Montreal against the 1-0 Alouettes.
