Calgary Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell says he's ready to throw the football again.
The CFL's Most Outstanding Player and Grey Cup MVP in 2018 hasn't played since injuring the pectoral muscle in his throwing arm on June 29.
He was placed on Calgary's six-game injured list the following week.
"Everything is kind of healed up," Mitchell said Wednesday. "I'll start throwing Friday.
"Take it slow in practice and see how I feel. Depending on how everything goes down these next couple weeks, should be ready to go."
Mitchell says he's targeting an Aug. 17 return when Calgary hosts the Montreal Alouettes.
Calgary (4-2) is at home to the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday.
Mitchell left the June 29 game against the B.C. Lions with about three minutes left. He said his arm was troubling him during the game and he felt pain on his final two passes.
"The second-to-last throw I felt a little bit of a jerk in my pec," Mitchell said. "I figured 'hey, I'll try one more throw' . . . and that's when my pec told me 'no.'"
Backup Nick Arbuckle helped engineer Calgary's 36-32 come-from-behind victory at McMahon.
The Stampeders have gone 3-1 with Arbuckle as starting QB.
Mitchell reached 25,000 passing yards for his career before he was sidelined.
The two-time CFL MOP owns a pair of Grey Cup rings (2014, 2018).
"This is not a knee, a hip or ankle," Mitchell said. "This is my money-maker.
"This is what needs to last my entire career, so try to make sure I do it properly so I come back strong the rest of the season and strengthen it that much more in the off-season."
The Canadian Press
