Kevin Glenn was on the Mosaic Stadium turf with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Monday.
But the veteran quarterback didn’t wear his helmet and he never touched a football during the CFL team’s practice. All he did was watch as Brandon Bridge, Vernon Adams Jr., and Marquise Williams ran drills at quarterback.
As a result, it remains unclear whether Glenn — who injured his right (throwing) hand during Saturday’s 48-28 loss to the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers — will be ready for Saskatchewan’s game Friday in Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats.
“We’ll prepare as if he’s not playing but know that, if he is ready, then he plays,” Saskatchewan head coach-GM Chris Jones said.
“Right now, it’s day to day,” Jones added. “We know (the hand) is not broken, so it’s just a matter of exactly what K.G. can handle. We’ll make sure our other guys are ready if (Glenn can’t play).”
Glenn was injured in the third quarter of Saturday’s game when, while following through on a throw, he hit his right hand on Winnipeg defensive lineman Cory Johnson. Bridge came on in relief and finished the contest.
After the game, Bridge said he was going to prepare for Friday’s contest like he’s starting — the same approach that he takes every week — and that expectation was borne out Monday when he worked exclusively with the first-team offence.
“I actually know the playbook just as well as (Glenn),” said Bridge, who was one of the Roughriders’ backup quarterbacks in 2016. “I’ve been in the system for a year and a half now, so I think the coaches feel really confident about me going in.”
Jones suggested that Adams also may get some snaps in Friday’s game if Glenn isn’t in the lineup. But the 17-year veteran will be around to offer guidance to his backups, just as he did during Monday’s practice.
“He was brought here for a reason,” Jones said. “If he wasn’t the starter, he’s doing exactly what he would be doing.”
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If Bridge starts, the Roughriders’ receivers will have to get used to footballs coming at them more quickly than if Glenn was playing.
Bridge has a stronger arm than Glenn — and the receivers know it.
“(Bridge) can sling it, that’s for sure,” wideout Rob Bagg said with a grin. “There’s a little bit of a difference there in terms of catching his passes, but being with him for basically two years now, (the speed of his passes) doesn’t really surprise you too much anymore. You just make sure your hands are ready for it.”
But the Roughriders hope the velocity of Bridge’s passes will be the only difference. Asked how things will change if the quarterback changes, Bagg replied: “They can’t, really.”
“If Brandon is the next man up, we’ve just got to continue to do our jobs,” Bagg continued. “We’re not going to really change our game plan or our M.O. or anything like that.
“I have full confidence in him and I know Brandon is confident and is looking forward to his opportunity if it happens to come this week. We as receivers just have to continue to do what we do and let him be himself.”
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The Tiger-Cats have won two straight games after dropping their first eight contests of the regular season — a losing streak that included a 37-20 defeat at the hands of the hometown Roughriders on July 8.
Hamilton’s winning streak coincided with June Jones replacing Kent Austin as the Tiger-Cats’ head coach.
“(The resurgence) is not just necessarily under June Jones; it is but it’s not,” Chris Jones said. “You’ve got the same coaching staff and you’ve still got the same administrative staff there. Certainly, June’s got his flavour that he puts on the team, but they’re playing at a very fast level right now.”
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The Roughriders announced the additions of three international players (defensive lineman T.J. Barnes, defensive back Mohammed Seisay and offensive lineman Terran Vaughn) to the practice roster and the releases of three internationals (defensive lineman Tavares Bingham, defensive back A.J. Jefferson and linebacker Will Ratelle) on Monday.
Barnes, a 27-year-old product of Montgomery, Ala., had NFL stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. He played 21 regular-season games in the NFL between 2014 and ’16.
The 6-foot-7, 355-pounder spent five seasons at Georgia Tech University, where he had 75 tackles, 8.5 tackles for losses and 2.5 quarterback sacks in a school-record 54 games played.
The 6-foot-2, 206-pound Seisay played 13 regular-season games with the Detroit Lions in 2014. He also had a stint with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.
A 27-year-old from Alexandria, Va., Seisay played two seasons at the University of Nebraska, one season at Eastern Arizona College and two seasons at the University of Memphis.
Vaughn is a 23-year-old product of Beaumont, Texas. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder played four seasons at Stephen F. Austin University before NFL stops with the Oakland Raiders and Indianapolis Colts.
Ratelle played in two games for the Roughriders, recording one defensive tackle and one special-teams stop. Neither Bingham nor Jefferson appeared in any games with Saskatchewan.
