Riders' QB, Trevor Harris back practicing with the starters

Saskatchewan Roughriders starting QB Trevor Harris at practice on Aug. 12, 2024 following a seven week absence. (Brit Dort/CTV News)

It was an exciting sight to see at practice on Monday as Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback, Trevor Harris, was back practicing with the starters for the first time in over seven weeks.

“It’s good. It’s one of those things where I haven’t taken a snap for almost a calendar and a half months or seven weeks or so,” he told reporters Monday. “So it just feels good to come out here and take some snaps.

Harris returned to full practice participation last week but Shea Patterson continued to lead the offence.

The quarterback said it has been tough waiting to be fully healthy to return to his starting spot.

“It was a little bit more than I’d hope for in terms of what the damage was. But it ended up being one of those things where you just have a timetable you have to wait for, for the ligaments to heal. I was trying to push back to get back early and the doctors were pretty hard headed and strong about the terms of what that timetable needed to be for [my] long term health,” Harris explained.

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He also shared that it was an injury to both his MCL and ACL.

“It was one of those things that needed time to recover because if the ACL is loose at all then you’re at risk of a full tear and that would be super long term but everything’s tightened up and everything’s rock solid now,” he shared.

However, when asked if he will be the starter this week both Harris and his head coach, Corey Mace, remained coy about what to expect for Friday’s matchup.

“That’s kind of just going to be up to Mace and the doctors and everybody but shoot I’m always going to say yes,” Harris exclaimed.

“We’ll see. Nothing’s promised. But there’s definitely a shot for that. But ultimately I’ll make that decision by the end of the week,” Mace told reporters.

It would be a game that means a lot to Harris as it will be against his former team. However, the 38-year-old pivot says he has been excited and anxious to get out there and play no matter who’s on the other end of the field.

“The first few weeks I was physically sick to my stomach that I couldn’t play. Just itching to get back would be quite an understatement. We worked hard during this rehab process and they did a great job helping me out. They kept saying it was quicker than they thought but it was slower than I was hoping,” Harris smirked.

Another face on offence that could return this week is running back A.J. Ouellette who has missed the last three games due to a hip injury.

“I felt really good today. They kind of managed my reps today but the ones I took, full speed, full cut, felt good,” he shared.

While Ouellette and Harris have been out the team has held their spot in the West Divison and after the Lions’ loss last week to the Elks the Riders now find themselves in first place in the West.

“You gotta love it. And you know we said it doesn’t feel good, it doesn’t feel, you know, the way we’ve been, it doesn’t feel like [we’re in first] but we are,” Harris said. “The table is set for us that we control our own destiny moving forward.”

But the team will have the biggest test so far of the season when they face the league leading Montreal Alouettes on Friday.