Riders’ Trevor Harris put on 6-game injured list

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will need to navigate the next few weeks without starting quarterback Trevor Harris.

Head coach Corey Mace said the 38-year-old pivot will be put onto the CFL’s six-game injured list with a moderate MCL injury.

“After the bye week, we had some time to get a look at it. He’s dealing with a pretty moderate MCL (injury) but the good news is that it’s not a season-ender,” Mace said. “We’re going to be smart with it as it is a long season and we are still early into it. We’re going to put him on the six for now. If he ends up being able to come off of that, we will roll with that. Just trying to be smart about it like we were on game day.”

Mace said there wasn’t a timeline for when Harris could return to game-action

Harris left the Riders’ 36-20 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Mosaic Stadium in the second quarter. While he returned to the sidelines in a brace — and even tried to make a case to go back into the game — Mace kept it out as a precaution.

“You have to protect players from themselves and the competitive juices are flying on gameday and knowing Trev, he just wants to be out there for his brothers,” Mace said. “It was the right decision then and I think it’s the right decision now.”

Harris missed most of last season after suffering a tibial plateau fracture in Week 6.

Harris has thrown for 872 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions in the 2024 season, getting Saskatchewan out to a 3-0 start to the season.

With Harris out, Shea Patterson is expected to make his first career CFL start on Thursday as the Riders host the Toronto Argonauts. Patterson came in for Harris after he was injured against Hamilton, completing four of 10 pass attempts for 41 yards.

“The kid does everything right. His vehicle is here sometimes before mine which is crazy,” Mace said. “Excited for the kid, the team is excited to rally around him.”

Riders sign Eric Barriere

With Harris heading to the six-game injured list, the team has brought in quarterback Eric Barriere.

Barriere won the Walter Payton Award as the top player in FCS football in 2021 after passing for 5,070 yards and 46 touchdowns with the Eastern Washington Eagles.

Barriere appeared in 51 games at Eastern Washington, throwing for 13,809 yards, 121 touchdowns against 29 interceptions while adding 22 rushing TDs and 1,585 yards along the ground.

He left the program as the all-time leader total offensive yards (15,394), passing yards (13,809) and passing touchdowns (121) which are also Big Sky Conference records.

The California product spent some time USFL’s Michigan Panthers (2022) and the New Jersey Generals (2023) before signing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

He appeared in the Bombers’ first preseason game against the Riders, throwing for just 23 yards and two interceptions. He was released May 25.