Streveler up to the challenge of recovering from knee injury, say teammates

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This article was published 17/09/2024 (362 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The small village of quarterbacks on the field was telling as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers returned to practice Tuesday following the bye week.

Replacing Chris Streveler won’t be easy.

The Bombers have signed three additional arms to the practice roster after learning their backup quarterback and Swiss Army knife tore three of the four major ligaments in his left knee during the club’s 26-21 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Banjo Bowl— a reality that ended his season.

Behind starter Zach Collaros, splitting the limited but extremely valuable reps, were rookie Terry Wilson and a trio of newly inked veterans in Jake Dolegala, Bryan Scott and Darren Grainger, who returned after being released during training camp.

Streveler leaves a gaping hole in the Bombers depth chart as a trusted backup who brought versatility and unpredictability to Winnipeg’s offence as a dual-threat weapon.

The numbers say the 29-year-old has been the most productive short-yardage option in the Canadian Football League this season with 10 rushing touchdowns, the most in the three-down loop, and his teammates say his leadership will be dearly missed in the huddle and on the sideline.

“Huge, man. He’s so much more than a football player. He’s a great leader, he’s a great man in this locker room for us. He just brings so much more than just being the ultimate team guy and ultimate warrior on the football field,” running back Brady Oliveira told the Free Press.

“A guy that I got a ton of respect for, not just for his game and the way he plays this game. I’m a huge fan of him, the way he battles,” Oliveira continued. “That’s one thing, but it’s just the high-character guy he is in the community, in the locker room with his boys. Just a great dude. He’ll be missed on the field and just being a leader in that huddle.”

Unfortunately, Collaros knows the arduous road ahead of Streveler. In 2015, he tore the ACL in his right knee, which ended a career year for the then-Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ quarterback.

Streveler’s patience will be tested, Collaros said, but if anyone can come back stronger, it’s him.

“They say it’s a mental thing. It’s kind of a stagnant thing, you feel like you’re not making progress and then you do— jumps kind of out of nowhere. I think for me it was trying to stay positive about it, I wasn’t necessarily moping but there’s more just a lack of patience like, ‘When is this going to get better?’ Collaros said.

“It was definitely a process… but the biggest challenge is just having patience and trusting what the training staff is telling you. Don’t do too much.”

No matter who you ask, the one certainty is that Streveler will continue to impact the team off the field through his contagious energy.

“I think his presence matters in the meeting room and just in the locker room with the guys,” Collaros said. “Anytime you have more leadership, it’s a good thing, and he certainly provides that.”

Roughriders defensive lineman Miles Brown, who injured Streveler, received a maximum fine for delivering a low hit. A justified punishment, according to head coach Mike O’Shea, who said the hit was avoidable.

“I think athletically you can do something different there. You can make a different choice. We have to make that standard just something unacceptable. And then it’ll be coached differently and it’ll get worked on differently,” said O’Shea, adding defenders have to walk a fine line, especially around the quarterbacks.

“You see a lot of guys that lay off, at times. Once again, there’s other rules that have been put in place that have basically made some of those penalties obsolete. So we’ll get to that at some point with some of these things.”

Winnipeg (7-6) is preparing to face the Edmonton Elks (5-8) at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday (6 p.m.)

O’Shea confirmed Wilson, who knows the playbook the best outside of Collaros, will serve as the team’s backup for the time being. The bench boss also does not anticipate the play-calling to change, given Wilson also possesses a keen ability as a runner.

In spite of that, Oliveira, who has yet to record a touchdown this season, is putting the onus on himself to pick up a few more first downs and find the endzone to pick up the slack left behind by Streveler.

“He’s been a beast getting into the end zone so he’s out now and we’ll see what our quarterback situation looks like for short yardage but I’m gonna have to take it upon myself, and especially with this offensive line unit, of finishing more runs,” Oliveria said.

“We got to get in now. I think we’ve been very dominant as a group but with Streveler out now, he’s been so dominant with getting in the end zone, I think it’s on us now to finish off this stretch here with good performances and really helping this team win games.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam