Jeremiah Masoli’s first game in a calendar year lasted less than a half, as the Ottawa Redblacks’ starting quarterback was carried off the field with a lower-body injury.
Masoli was scrambling to avoid pressure mid-way through the second quarter of action against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats when he went down awkwardly without contact. The 34-year-old was seen clutching his left leg as medical staff arrived and could place no weight on the limb as he was moved to the sidelines. He was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the contest and was caught by TSN cameras with a walking boot on his left foot and crutches heading into halftime.
Prior to exiting the game, Masoli was 6-of-10 for 37 yards passing and an interception. He was replaced by rookie Dustin Crum with Ottawa trailing 9-0.
The injury comes exactly 365 days after Masoli was carried off the field after taking a late, low hit from Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defensive tackle Garrett Marino. The quarterback required reconstructive surgery to the bones in his right knee and had his rehab extended into 2023 due to an infection, missing a full year of action.
Masoli completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 1,083 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions prior to the injury last season, his first as a Redblack. He also carried the ball 11 times for 39 yards and one touchdown.
The five-foot-ten, 218-pound passer has thrown for 16,182 yards, 79 touchdowns, and 50 interceptions over the course of his decade-long CFL career, most of which was spent with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Saturday was the first time he had played against his former team.
The Redblacks began the season with a 1-2 record without Masoli, benching veteran Nick Arbuckle after two straight losses. Tyrie Adams led the team to a victory over the Edmonton Elks last week, but suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the process.
