Mike Reilly, a 2003 Flathead High School graduate and the quarterback of the Edmonton Eskimos, suffered a knee injury in the season-opener on June 27 and will miss 10-12 weeks, according to the team.
Medical tests confirmed Reilly sustained a torn posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), a partially torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) and a medial meniscal tear in his left knee. The estimated recovery time is approximately 10-12 weeks, the organization said.
Reilly suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Edmonton’s game against the Toronto Argonauts in Ft. McMurray.
“Losing Mike would be a blow to any team,” Eskimos general manager Ed Hervey told the Edmonton Sun last week. “Any team losing a quarterback is a blow. He’s not just a football player. We care about all the players here and when you see one of them go down, it’s about how you overcome it.”
Reilly has carved out an impressive career in the CFL. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound QB is in his sixth season and was entering his third as Edmonton’s starter. He completed 16-of-28 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown and also rushed five times for 31 yards before being injured in the opener.
Last year he started 15 of the team’s 17 games and guided Edmonton to a 12-6 record in the regular season. but was unable to finish due to a foot injury. He threw for 3,327 yards, completing 288-of-446 passes with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also recorded 79 carries for 616 yards and eight touchdowns.
In the West Final against Calgary, he completed 20-of-33 passes for 216 yards with two touchdowns and one interception before leaving with a foot injury. Calgary won 43-18, but Reilly received notoriety for his gutty performance. He was named to the West Division All-Star Team. The last two seasons his peers named him the toughest player in the CFL.
He started all 18 games in 2013 after being traded to Edmonton from B.C.