Riders’ Moore still recovering from torn ACL, but excited to re-sign

There was only one place Kyran Moore wanted to play CFL football in 2022.

“I love Saskatchewan. Just from (general manager Jeremy O’Day and head coach Craig Dickenson) and I’ve talked to a couple of players who have signed back and we want to run it back,” the 25-year-old Saskatchewan Roughriders slotback said Tuesday.

“We felt like we had a real chance and could have won a Grey Cup (in 2021). We had injuries but (we’ll) try to do another year and everyone comes back healthy and run it back.”

The Riders announced Friday they had signed the Bessemer, Ala. product to an extension, keeping him off the free-agent market.

Moore was the Riders’ leading receiver in 2021, recording 585 yards and three touchdowns on 64 catches.

But his season came to a premature end on Oct. 30, when he suffered a torn ACL and a mostly torn MCL in a 19-14 win over the Montreal Alouettes.

“I caught the ball and I was running, a tackler was landing on my leg while the other tackler was spinning me around and I felt my knee twist. I knew something was wrong so I hopped up and tried to get off the field as quick as possible,” Moore said. “I tried to get up and walk on it and I couldn’t put any pressure on it.”

With a nine-month rehab process ahead of him, Moore admitted he’s unsure what percentage he will be at health-wise come training camp in May.

“It has been feeling better. Rehab has been coming along real fine. My therapist said everything is looking good,” Moore said. “It’s up in the air right now. He told me it’s a nine-month recovery process so hopefully I can be back sooner than nine months.”

Moore admitted he felt like the injury cost him a chance at getting an NFL shot this off-season.

“Everything happens for a reason. I just put it into perspective that it will come back around when it’s time,” Moore said.

When he signed the contract extension, Moore said the first person who reached out to him was quarterback Cody Fajardo.

“I’ll ride with Cody regardless because I feel like he’s a quarterback who can get the job done and he’s a winner,” Moore said. “(He’s) a quarterback that’s in there fighting for all of us and not just himself, (so) I’m riding with Cody.”

Moore said that although 2021 didn’t end the way the Roughriders wanted it to, he felt the offence did a good job in the first year under offensive co-ordinator Jason Maas.

“I think we did pretty good. Going into the second year, we can obviously get better,” Moore said. “I felt like more of a vet last year, seeing most of the young guys do what they do. I tried my best to contribute as best I could.”

As he looks ahead to 2022 and what the offence may look like, Moore said he’s been trying to get some of his teammates to come back for another season.

“I’ve been in contact with a lot of them. I think it’s working. Some people might want to test free agency but I’ve got a couple of strings I could pull,” Moore said.