Credit: Raj Taneja
After 13 seasons and 200 games leading the BC Lions offensive line, centre Angus Reid’s bad back will keep him out for the rest of the season and may threaten his football career.
Reid, 36, was sidelined by the injury early in training camp and has not dressed in a game this season. Instead, he has been grooming second-year Lion Matt Norman, who was forced to switch to centre from guard after Reid got hurt. While Norman has performed well, the offensive line has struggled this season.
They’ve allowed 41 sacks, fifth most in the league, and haven’t given the quarterbacks nearly enough time to make plays. As for the running game, the Lions have averaged only 96 yards a game, a far cry from last season when they led the league with 125 yards a game.
Norman has the skills to be a great centre in this league, but he does not have Reid’s experience yet. Reid is a two-time Grey Cup champion and has led the offensive line for the better part of a decade. He has great awareness, adjusts his play-calling to counteract defences, and commands the best from his teammates. All of this will come for Norman in time, but when you don’t have that guy who’s been there before and is truly comfortable being the leader on offense, the team will suffer.
Reid will undergo surgery within the next week or two, effectively ending his season, which never truly began. It will also raise questions about whether he will continue playing. He has mulled retirement over the past few seasons and always chose to return, but it may not be as easy a decision this time around. While the recovery time for the surgery is only a couple of months, Reid may look back on his career and be satisfied enough to retire.
There’s also the question of whether BC would bring him back at all. The offensive line is rebuilding with a lot of young talent and if general manager Wally Buono can’t find a place for Reid on the team, he will not be back. Buono has proven that he is not afraid to let go of his aging superstars.
But if Reid wants to play and the Lions want him back, he will be back with the Lions next season. Whether he’s given his starting job back or he has to play a supporting role again, he will accept what is presented to him. Reid is a consummate professional and if previous situations tell us anything, it’s that he will do whatever he can to help the Lions win.
