It might have been a freak injury, but it ended Tyson Philpot‘s career season and, for now, his NFL aspirations.
In the first quarter of a game against Hamilton on Aug. 10, the Alouettes receiver caught a short pass and got his cleats stuck in the Molson Stadium turf as he was tackled. Philpot’s right foot was in a walking boot after the game, having suffered ligament damage to his lisfranc joint — a freak season-ending injury.
“Anyone in that situation, the outcome would have been the same,” Philpot told The Gazette by telephone on Monday — the first time he has talked publicly about the injury after recently announcing it on his Instagram account. “Just the way when I spun around and got tackled, my foot got caught in the turf. But it had nothing to do with the turf.
“The funny thing is I’ve had no pain through this whole time,” he added. “That’s why I was so confident I’d be able to come back. Even when I hurt it, there was an awkward feeling but no pain.”
Philpot will remain in the walking boot for the next three or four months. He underwent August surgery to have a screw inserted in the foot, and will undergo another procedure in December to have it removed. Although it can take a year or more to return to intense exercise with this type of injury, Philpot has been advised his recovery period will be nine months, since no bones were fractured. He’s optimistic he’ll be ready for the start of training camp next May.
In only nine games, Philpot caught 58 passes for 779 yards (13.4-yard average) while scoring five touchdowns. A deep threat for quarterback Cody Fajardo, Philpot had already caught six passes of 30 yards or longer, had three 100-yard games and a season-long 76-yard reception.
He was Montreal’s leading receiver at the time of his injury and, six weeks later, remains so, although he should be passed by Charleston Rambo (51 catches for 758 yards) Saturday at Toronto. While the Als (11-2-1) have the CFL’s best record, they’ve struggled offensively without Philpot and are missing Austin Mack, who played one game following his return from the Atlanta Falcons before suffering an ankle injury.
“I didn’t believe that was going to be my last play for the season, especially with the way I was playing,” Philpot said. “the team was looking for a No. 1 receiver. That was something I prided myself on and decided I wanted to become. I was doing that.
“The team will carry on. It’s been a little bit rough for the last couple of weeks but I believe we’re finding our groove. Cody’s getting comfortable with the receivers. I was such a deep threat. I like the big splash plays. Maybe we’ve missed on some of those. Rambo seems to come down with it every time you throw it up to him.”
Philpot worked out for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 after his rookie season and appeared destined to receive more interest this winter, given his stats through the first half. At age 24, the 6-foot-1, 195 pounder should still have some time on his hands, but realizes the window is becoming smaller.
“Until somebody tells me no, that has been my dream and I remain very confident,” he said. “I love it in Montreal and there’s nowhere else I’d want to play. But I’m confident, if I play my best through a full season. I really do think I can get a chance. I’ll put my best foot forward. If it’s not enough, it’s not enough. It’s only on hold for a year.”