Zach Collaros may be out 4 weeks to rest of year; would Ticats trade for Glenn?

The knee injury Hamilton Tiger-Cats' quarterback Zach Collaros suffered in the second quarter of their 25-18 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos Saturday could keep him out for the rest of the season. Sportsnet's Arash Madani reported Saturday night that the injury is believed to be to Collaros' ACL, and that it could keep him out anywhere from four weeks to the rest of the season. Just how severe that injury is may play a big factor in Hamilton's plans going forward; if Collaros is out four weeks, the Ticats may push on with the guys they have, but if he's gone for the year, they may look for outside help. They could potentially even target a former Ticat; Saskatchewan's Kevin Glenn. First, here's what Madani reported about Collaros' injury:

TSN's Matthew Scianitti reported that Collaros will go for a MRI Monday, and the full extent of the injury should be known then:

Losing Collaros for four to six weeks would be bad enough, but losing him for the year could be disastrous for Hamilton. Collaros has been playing at a level that's made him perhaps the frontrunner for the league's Most Outstanding Player award, throwing for 3,376 yards so far with a 70.2 per cent completion rate and 25 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. He's been a crucial figure in the Tiger-Cats' success to date, which has seen them put up a 8-4 record and lead the East Division. Of course, Hamilton's also received strong performances from their defence and special teams, but the Collaros-led offence has put up a league-leading 410 points so far; only one other team (Calgary, 322) has even cracked the 300-point barrier. If he's gone for a significant amount of time, that could lead to a big downturn in the Ticats' fortunes, and they don't have much breathing room; they're on top of the East with a 8-4 record, but the Ottawa Redblacks are 7-4 after their win Saturday night, the Toronto Argonauts are 6-5, and the Montreal Alouettes were 4-6 heading into Sunday's game. Hamilton still has six games to play, while their opponents all have seven, so we could still see a big swing in the East standings.

What will the Tiger-Cats do without Collaros? Well, their approach may vary depending on just how bad the news is. If he's expected to return in four weeks or so, it seems likely they'll probably ride current backups Jeff Mathews and Jacory Harris despite their struggles in relief Saturday. Mathews in particular would seem to have an inside edge, as head coach/general manager Kent Austin and offensive coordinator Tommy Condell both coached him at Cornell, so he's familiar with their scheme. However, that didn't lead to success for him Saturday (157 yards, 60 per cent completion rate, no touchdowns, three interceptions and a lost fumble), and Harris didn't do much better (six completions on 12 attempts, 59 yards and a lost fumble). Still, Hamilton's defence and special teams are strong enough that it's possible to see them not being terrible even without Collaros, and if he's only missing a few weeks, that would give them enough time to make a playoff push once he came back.

If Collaros' injury is season-ending, though, that might be motivation for the Tiger-Cats to look for a trade. Mathews and Harris may have some long-term potential, but neither seems like a great bet heading into the playoffs, and with the rest of Hamilton's team playing so well, they would seem to have a window to challenge for a third-straight Grey Cup appearance if they can find a competent quarterback. There aren't a great number of options out there, especially given the quarterback injuries we've seen across the league this year, but as noted by the guys (Darrin Bauming, Chris Walby and Troy Westwood) on Winnipeg's TSN 1290 Sunday morning, there's one very compelling trade candidate: Saskatchewan's Glenn.

Glenn played dazzlingly well in relief of Darian Durant earlier this year, and while he wasn't great in the Riders' loss Saturday, he's shown he's still got what it takes. Moreover, Saskatchewan might be willing to trade him; the 1-11 Roughriders aren't mathematically eliminated from the postseason picture yet, but they're awfully close to that, and they might be more interested in developing young quarterback Brett Smith than sticking with Glenn. Would Glenn be willing to return to Hamilton, where he played from 2009-2011 but left somewhat acrimoniously in a trade for Henry Burris? Would he be able to quickly adapt to the offence Austin and Condell run? Would Saskatchewan give him up for less than an arm and a leg? We don't know, but it's certainly an intriguing possibility at the very least, and one the Tiger-Cats may strongly consider if Collaros is out for the year. This team's going to need some quarterback production to get anywhere in the playoffs: the question is if Collaros can return to deliver that, if one of their younger guys can step up, or if they'll need to seek outside help.