EDMONTON - Just over 24 hours removed from a horrific ankle injury that looked career-threatening, Matt Nichols stood at his locker stall and spoke about the future.
“Best-case scenario, really, for what happened,” he said. “Usually, when you dislocate an ankle like that, it can be both bones break(ing) and it can also send a shock into your knee and mess up your knee.
“I just had a slight fracture in my fibula, which is really a blessing, I think, because I’m being told that they’ve got to put a pin in there. It’s basically minor surgery. The pin will come out in four months and I should be totally recovered.”
Nichols said that he expects to be at training camp next June when he’ll try to cement his spot as the team’s starting quarterback. It is a role that fans, and it seemed a number of his teammates, wanted him to assume this year.
He completed 48 of 83 passes for 884 yards, seven touchdowns and just three interceptions. He rushed 10 times for 76 yards and one touchdown. In his limited action, he had a team-best 107.7 quarterback rating.
“I’m going to definitely do everything possible to work hard this off-season and I’m planning on beating the schedule (the Eskimos doctors) gave me,” he said. “I plan on having a full month or two to do some full training and make throws and do the things I need to do to get ready for camp.”
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