Ticats place Zach Collaros on the six-game injured list

The Ticats have placed quarterback Zach Collaros on the six-game injured list ahead of Thursday’s season opener against the Toronto Argonauts.

Collaros, who is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last September, would be eligible return in time for an Aug. 13 date against the B.C. Lions.

By putting Collaros on the six-game, the Ticats prevent his salary from counting against the CFL’s $5.1 million salary cap. The 27-year-old signed a three-year contract extension this week worth a reported $1.5 million that also provided him with a significant raise from the $275,000 he was scheduled to earn this season.

Collaros can be taken off the six-game injured list at any time but the salary for the entire six games – not just the ones he missed – would then count against the cap.

Ticats head coach Kent Austin says the move gives the team flexibility going into the season.

“You just don’t know [how long he’ll be out.] We don’t want to have a lack of prudence with respect to the cap and those type of things,” Austin said. [“It’s] not any indication of his readiness to play.”

In other injury news, the Ticats have placed all-star defensive tackle Ted Laurent on the one-game injured list, meaning he’ll miss Thursday’s game.