Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca
HAMILTON — Ticats fans will have to wait at least another week to see Zach Collaros back under centre, according to a report by TSN’s Matthew Scianitti.
Scianitti tweeted Saturday that Head Coach Kent Austin has ruled Collaros out of Wednesday’s meeting with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, delaying the veteran quarterback’s return to the lineup at least 10 more days:
Kent Austin says Zach Collaros will not play this Wed vs. #Bombers Again: “Getting close” #Ticats play #Lions 10 days after WPG #CFL
— Matthew Scianitti (@TSNScianitti) July 30, 2016
Collaros has been at practice for the last few weeks since returning from the torn ACL that ended his 2015 season last September, but so far he has not been seen practising with the first-team unit.
Austin said Friday ahead of the team’s rare Wednesday night Week 7 matchup in Winnipeg that Collaros is awaiting medical clearance.
“He’s really close but I’m just waiting on doctors’ orders,” Austin told Ticats.ca.
WEEK 6 QUICK HITS
» Weekly Say: A question for every team in Week 6
» Rookie Report: Silas leads July top-10
» Late-game heroics lift Stamps in OT
» Watch: Alouettes honour Cahoon’s No. 86
Jeremiah Masoli’s Week 5 performance will go down in history (The Canadian Press)
The 27-year-old Steubenville, Ohio native now in his fifth CFL season emerged as one of the league’s top quarterbacks last year, leading the discussion for Most Outstanding Player after throwing for 3,376 yards and 25 touchdowns against only eight interceptions. Those hopes ended on Sept. 19 in a home loss against the Edmonton Eskimos, when Collaros suffered the season-ending knee injury at Tim Hortons Field.
He continues to work his way back and while a return in Week 7 would have been a major boost for a Ticats team currently 3-2 and fighting with the Ottawa REDBLACKS and Toronto Argonauts for positioning at the top of the competitive CFL East Division, so far Jeremiah Masoli has been an adequate replacement.
In a tough road matchup against the defending Grey Cup Champions in Edmonton in Week 5, Masoli set a CFL record with 23 straight completions while leading the Ticats to their biggest comeback in franchise history, back from 25 points down in the second half to win 37-31.
“He obviously played very, very well,” Austin said of Masoli. “He made great decisions. He was very accurate with the football. But he had a lot of guys around him playing well also. The guys raised their game and played really well.
“He’s had stretches like that that he’s shown the ability to keep the offence on the field and make completions and continue to move the ball and score.”
Masoli ranked second in the league with 1,532 passing yards in five games this season while throwing eight touchdowns but also a league-leading five interceptions.
Now Masoli will get at least one more chance to show what he can do at the helm of the Ticats’ offence.
