B.C. Lions franchise QB Michael Reilly nursing ‘shoulder soreness’ at training camp

B.C. Lions quarterback Michael Reilly watched and did not participate in the team’s first scrimmage of 2021 training camp on Saturday.

According to TSN reporter Farhan Lalji, it was the third straight day Reilly was on the sidelines, although the Lions expect the franchise passer to be “full go” next week.

Reilly started 16 games for the Lions in 2019, but his first year as the starter in B.C. was cut short due to a broken wrist. Prior to the injury, he was the last healthy starting quarterback league-wide. He passed for 3,897 yards, 20 touchdowns versus 15 interceptions while completing just under 70 percent of his attempts as the Lions went 5-13 and missed the playoffs.

The six-foot-three, 230-pound signal caller won the league’s Most Outstanding Player award in 2017 when he threw for a career-high 5,830 yards and 30 touchdowns. He’s been a part of two Grey Cup winning teams, including leading Edmonton to a CFL title in 2015, earning MVP honours in the 103rd edition of the three-down championship.

Reilly started his CFL career with the Lions in 2010 and he’s been in the league for 10 seasons. The 36-year-old has completed over 66 percent of his passes for 31,522 yards with 168 touchdowns against 99 interceptions and rushed 637 times for 3,366 yards scoring 52 majors in 155 games.

The Lions want to keep the veteran signal caller 100 percent healthy in order to contend when the season starts in August.