QB: Reigning East MOP Jeremiah Masoli - out for the season.
RB: Rising star Seam Thomas-Erlington (NAT) lost for at least a couple of months with a knee injury in June. His replacement, Maleek Irons (also a NAT) is on the 6-game. His replacement, Cameron Marshall (INT) is on the 6-game.
Receiver: Luke Tasker has missed a few games. Brandon Banks has missed one. Replacements have stepped up nicely, so no major issues.
OL: 4 of 5 starters (Filer, Matthews, Ciraco, Van Zeyl) have missed time, but all are currently healthy.
DL: Ted Laurent (NAT, all-star) has been out for a couple of games. Jamaal Westerman (NAT) out for the season. Adrian Tracy (INT) out for the season.
LB: Only backups have been hurt.
DB: Delvin Breaux (one of the best in the league) in on the 6-game.
Summary: Four all-star players (Masoli, Breaux, Tasker, Laurent) currently out. Two NAT starters (Laurent, RB position) currently out.
A few teams may have benefited more than they have lost with injured players this season.
Riders … Hamilton … Winnipeg… Calgary … Toronto … Montreal all have grown into better teams because of the opportunity for young blood to get a chance to shine.
Still don’t like to see any injuries but at least 6 teams have had back up QB’s display enough talent to build hope for the cfls future.
Unlike previous seasons that saw teams cycle through the next one over and over ( riders back up QB’s the last 4 years ) . We now see the next generation of players and if the season started sept 1 we would have 7/9 teams equally capable of going the distance. Heck Toronto is on the verge of making it 8/9
Bombers have been hit hard, but the “next man up” philosophy has kept us at the top.
Losing Nichols & Harris is enough of a setback for most teams, but now Strev gets to shine.
The RB we took in the 1st rnd of the draft this year impressed at camp and won the backup spot, but he broke his ankle in the 2nd game, and now Augustine gets to shine
Losing Adams, Mathews & Nelson for most of the first 9 games sucked, but it allowed us to get Lawler, Whitehead & Bailey more time
Patty Neufeld was to start at C, hasn’t played yet…Speller fills in but we lose him too, forcing 2 more picks from this year to play more (Desjarlis & Eli)
And thats just the offence!
On D we went a stretch where we were losing a starting DB each game. Alexander is the big one here, but also Humes & Maston. Exume (yes another pick this year) getting more playing time.
The Jeffcoat injury was hard, losing Roh at the same time sucked. But Willie has stepped up & Kongbo (you guessed it, 2019 pick!) gets playing time.
Injuries happen, it takes some of the sting off when the players stepping in are able to show they belong. But wow, did they ever hit that draft! ;D
Injuries seem to be spread fairly well compared to some years. I know the Riders were down 4 starting OL including 3 nationals at one point…that is a big hit in one spot. Of course ZC has led to good things in CF, but it is still a big blow out of the gates. 3 other national starters beyond that…so 6 national starters…yikes.