Recovering from surgery: Riders provide update on Trevor Harris injury

Quarterback Trevor Harris is recovering from surgery to repair the tibial plateau fracture sustained during Saturday’s matchup against Calgary.

“Trevor had his surgery and he’s been released from hospital. He’s home recovering with his family. We’re excited that the surgery went well by all accounts and he’s on the road to recovery,” said Saskatchewan Roughriders GM, Jeremy O’Day on Tuesday.

Outside of the fracture, Harris also had his lateral meniscus repaired as well. O’Day adding that there plates and screws were used to repair the bone.

“After talking to the medical staff they wanted to rule him out for the entire season, but it’s going to, it’s definitely going to be long term. He’ll pretty much be non-weight bearing for about six weeks. That will be the longest period of time and then from there, he’ll start work on his rehab,” O’Day explained.

“He’s already anxious to come back and help the guys in the meeting room and we’re trying to get him to kind of just sit tight at home and spend some time with family and let his leg heal up a bit. But injuries aren’t so much the physical part, it’s usually the mental part that the athletes go through,” O’Day added.

But given the extent of the injury, the Riders’ biggest off-season signing now means so little in the grand scheme.

“The doctor said there’s a chance but it’s a small chance,” said head coach Craig Dickenson, when asked if Harris could return this season.

However the team does not have their eyes set on signing another quarterback.

“Everybody that’s had success at one point or another had to come in when people weren’t quite sure about them and show that they could do the job. So this is Mason’s chance to shine and he’s going to get a lot of games to do it and I think he’s ready,” Dickenson said.

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“The guys we had in training camp played well. I thought we were pretty efficient as a quarterback group,” O’Day said.

“It’s a team game and Mason has his part to play just like Trevor did. Mason has been here for three years so he would be considered a veteran guy. So for us looking outside, we’re always going to have conversations and discussions on what’s the best course of action but I don’t anticipate us bringing in another quarterback.”

“We have Jake [Dolegala] here that we also thought had a really good training camp and Shea Patterson has done a nice job as well for us,” O’Day added.

”So at this point we won’t look to bring anyone here.”

“You know as a little kid obviously like you said you don’t wanna do it [get your start] this way but hey it’s football,” said Mason Fine, who’s been deemed the starter.

“We’re professionals and I know I’m going to prepare and step up to the plate and be the best quarterback that I can be for this team and go win games.”

As for how the offence will be built around Fine this week, the team does not expect to change much for Fine.

“We’re going to call our offence the same way as we always do and ask him to make the same plays Trevor does. Maybe take a little less or go in with a little less of a game plan but not much. He’s been here three years now, he knows the offence,” said Dickenson.

Even during the off-season when offensive coordinator Kelly Jeffrey was hired he says he was working to build the team around the backup quarterbacks before the news of the team signing Harris came to be.

“My whole time putting things together I was thinking about Mason and I was thinking about Jake Dolegala and how we can get them to best move the football,” said Jeffrey.

“So in a way this offence is set up more for him than it is Trevor."