Bo Levi Mitchell's absence will be one of the biggest storylines when the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.
The veteran quarterback is sidelined with an ankle injury, leaving former Roughrider Jake Dollegala to make the start for Hamilton against his former team.
While the focus this week has shifted to how the Tiger-Cats will perform without their veteran pivot, former Saskatchewan quarterback and Riders Plaza of Honour member Darian Durant is hopeful Mitchell's injury won't mark the end of his CFL career. Durant believes Mitchell's playing style could work in his favour during the recovery process.
"The good thing for Bo — and I don't want to say good thing because I'm sure he wishes he was a lot more mobile — but him being more so of a pocket quarterback, you don't rely on your legs so much," Durant said during his weekly appearance on the SportsCage Roughriders Radio Roundtable.
"You don't have to have the escapability that some of the other guys rely on. So that's a positive in this case."
The former Grey Cup-winning quarterback added that if Mitchell's injury is limited to a clean break without any additional ligament damage, modern medicine should give the 36-year-old a strong chance to return.
"Thirty-six used to be pretty much a death sentence for guys if you got hurt at that age," Durant said. "But I think with today's technology and just Bo's style of play, he'll be fine.
"He's just throwing the ball all around the field. He's having one of his best years to start so far coming off an MOP season. I really think that if it's just a clean break and it's a pretty smooth rehab, then he'll definitely be back."
Mitchell was off to another strong start in 2026 after earning the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award last season.
The Roughriders and Tiger-Cats kick off at 5 p.m. Sunday at Mosaic Stadium, with coverage beginning at 2 p.m. on the 620 CKRM Co-operators Roughrider Radio Network.
