CFL QB issues worsen, with Crompton put on six-game list, Reilly out 10-12 weeks

The CFL's already-extensive list of quarterbacks out for a long while is growing, with the Montreal Alouettes placing Jonathan Crompton on the six-game injured list Monday and the Edmonton Eskimos announcing Tuesday that Mike Reilly will be gone for 10 to 12 weeks with a knee injury. Crompton was previously listed as day-to-day after suffering an injury against the Ottawa Redblacks Thursday, while Reilly's status was only announced as indefinite after he took a hit and left Saturday's game against the Toronto Argonauts. They join Saskatchewan starter Darian Durant (gone for the season with a torn Achilles tendon), Toronto starter Ricky Ray (on the six-game injured list with shoulder issues), and Montreal backup Dan LeFevour (out for the season with a dislocated and fractured shoulder) in the ranks of CFL QBs with long-term injuries. What will the losses of Crompton and Reilly mean for their teams?

Crompton's loss in particular could be troubling. Yes, he entered this season on perhaps the most uncertain ground of any CFL starter thanks to only playing half of the 2014 season and putting up mediocre stats during it (such as a 58.1 per cent completion mark), but the Alouettes did well with him under centre last year, and he had room for growth. Also, part of the short leash for Crompton was about Montreal signing high-ceiling prospect LeFevour in the offseason. With LeFevour out of the picture, Crompton was by far the Alouettes' most-proven option. Now, barring a trade or another signing, they'll have to rely on two 23-year-old CFL rookies, Canadian Brandon Bridge (who completed five for 10 passes for 62 yards with an interception in relief of Crompton and LeFevour Thursday) and American Rakeem Cato.

It's going to be interesting to see which way the Alouettes go at quarterback, as both players have clear advantages and disadvantages. Both played in non-Power Five conferences of the NCAA's top FBS division, with Bridge suiting up for the South Alabama Jaguars in the Sun Belt and Cato playing for the Marshall Thundering Herd in Conference USA, so they faced a similar level of competition. However, Cato has a lot more hardware to his name, including a CUSA MVP (in 2012), two CUSA offensive player of the year awards (in 2013 and 2014), two bowl MVP awards (in 2013 and 2014), and a NCAA record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (39). He also played for a school that accomplished a lot more this past year (Marshall went 13-1 in 2014 compared to South Alabama's 6-7). Cato posted better 2014 stats than Bridge in many areas, too, including passing yards (3,903 to 1,927) (TD/INT ratio (40/13 vs. 15/8), and completion percentage (59.2 to 52.1 per cent).

While Cato's the more polished prospect, Bridge might have the better physical tools; he's 6'4'' and 226 pounds versus Cato's 6'0'' and 181. Both can be capable scramblers, with Bridge picking up 297 rushing yards last season and Cato recording 482. Size doesn't always matter a ton in the CFL, but college experience isn't always a big factor either. It's going to be worth watching to see which way the Alouettes go, or if they choose at all; head coach Tom Higgins' comments Monday made it sound like they might try to use both quarterbacks, with packages designed for each. In any case, though, Crompton's loss means the team's going to have to rely on one or two QBs with next to no CFL experience. Past history suggests that could be highly problematic for them.

Meanwhile in Edmonton, it was already expected that Reilly would be out for a while given how bad his injury looked, but the actual diagnosis illustrates just how problematic this could be for the Eskimos. Fortunately, they do have options; backup Matt Nichols is entering his sixth CFL season after a good NCAA career with Eastern Washington, all of his CFL experience has come with Edmonton, and he's been effective in relief duty before. Former Missouri quarterback James Franklin was great in the preseason, while former Northern Illinois pivot Jordan Lynch has been effective in run-focused packages. All of those guys could be useful while Reilly's gone, and they all have potential. Still, Reilly has proven to be one of the league's top quarterbacks when healthy, and his combination of a good passing arm and an ability to pick up yards on the ground is rare.

Like Crompton, Reilly will certainly be missed, and not just by fans of his team. These losses, added to all the other QB injuries we've already seen, could impact offence across the CFL, and that might have further effects on attendance and TV ratings. We'll see how it goes, but this wave of injuries is certainly troubling for the league, especially coming on the heels of two seasons that also saw a lot of quarterback injuries. Does the CFL need to bring in rule changes to better protect its pivots? Not necessarily, but you can bet that option will at least be discussed this season in the wake of these injuries.