The recuperation process has begun for Trevor Harris.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback has undergone surgery to repair a tibial plateau fracture of his right knee.
Harris was injured six minutes into the fourth quarter of Saturday’s CFL game against the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium.
“He has been released from the hospital and he’s at home recovering with his family,” Roughriders General Manager and Vice-President of Football Operations Jeremy O’Day said Tuesday.
“We’re excited that the surgery went well, by all accounts, and he’s on the road to recovery.”
Despite the severity of the injury and the imperative of surgery, there is a chance that Harris could play again this season.
“It wasn’t such a situation after talking to the medical staff that they wanted to rule him out for the entire season,” O’Day said, “but it’s going to be a long-term (recovery).
“He’ll be pretty much non-weight-bearing for about six weeks. That will be the longest period of time and, from there, he’ll start to work on his rehab.
“He’s already anxious to come back and help the guys in the meeting rooms and stuff. We’re trying to get him to kind of sit tight at home and spend time with his family and let his leg heal up a little bit.”
Harris is recovering from the first long-term injury he has sustained since becoming a CFLer in 2012.
Over the previous 10 seasons, Harris had never dressed for fewer than 10 games. He has suited up for all 18 games in six of those seasons, including last year with the Montreal Alouettes.
Harris, 37, signed with Saskatchewan as a free agent on Feb. 14. In five games with the Roughriders (3-2) this season, he has thrown for 1,274 yards, with six touchdowns and four interceptions.
After Harris left Saturday’s game, Mason Fine took over at quarterback and completed six of eight passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns — including a 69-yard scoring strike to Tevin Jones with 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Brett Lauther converted the Jones TD, which was scored in a third-and-24 situation, to give Saskatchewan a 31-30 lead.
Calgary proceeded to march into field-goal range, whereupon Rene Paredes connected from 50 yards to give the Stampeders a 33-31 victory.
Fine is to start at quarterback on Saturday in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions.
Jake Dolegala, who has been on the practice roster, will be activated and move up to the No. 2 spot, behind Fine. Shea Patterson will remain on the roster as the short-yardage quarterback.
O’Day is confident that Fine, who started the final two games of last season, will be up to the task as he moves up the depth chart.
“He’s fiery and he’s not afraid of any situations,” O’Day said. “The game’s not too big for him. He’s cool as a cucumber when he’s put in these situations.
“I was actually standing on the sideline when Trevor went down, and I wasn’t sure that Mason even had a pulse. Even after a couple of big drives there, and the big play, he was very calm and collected.”
