Training Camp Notebook: Tyson Philpot grateful to be back on field

When Tyson Philpot went down with a foot injury last season, he was on pace to have one of the great receiving seasons in franchise history. Through eight games and less than one quarter, the 24-year-old had 58 receptions for 779 yards and five touchdowns, which would put him on pace for roughly 116 receptions and 1,558 yards. Unfortunately, that freak foot injury he suffered against Hamilton on Aug. 8 put an end to his season.

Philpot was eased in to training camp, but his workload has ramped up over the last week. The University of Calgary product looks like the same player he was before the injury. His routes look crisp and fluid and he’s come up with impressive catch after impressive catch.

“I’m super grateful to be back on the field,” Philpot said. “It’s been a long recovery to get back onto the field. Obviously, it’s just showing that my offseason work and the rehab that I’ve put in – those dog days in the offseason – are paying off.

“You never know with those major injuries. It’s a traumatic injury to yourself. They always tell you that there’s a chance that you never come back to where you were. I was doing super well last year, so it was a goal of mine to make sure that when I step onto the field that I wanted to be at the same level I was at last year.”

Tyson Philpot

Philpot admitted that there’s some tightness in his foot after practices still but that it’s a normal part of the rehab process. Other than that, his foot feels completely normal, and he fully expects to be ready for the regular season opener on June 6 against the Toronto Argonauts.

Even though most of Philpot’s production came with Cody Fajardo at quarterback last year, his relationship with new starting quarterback Davis Alexander can’t be overlooked. The two came into the CFL together in 2022, and they’ve had a close relationship ever since.

On the field, Philpot and Alexander played six quarters together last year (the second half at home against Saskatchewan and the full game the following week in Hamilton). In those six quarters, Alexander has targeted his Canadian target a whopping 16 times.

“We watch film together, we watch all games together, and we see things pretty similarly,” Alexander said of he and Philpot’s relationship. “I know he’s going to always be in the right spot. I know he’s not an over-thinker, and he just seems to do the right thing all the time. His talent is phenomenal…I trust him to death.”

Alexander should give the Als offence a different look. The 26-year-old has one of the strongest arms in the CFL, which should allow the team to stretch the field more often. There’s a good chance Philpot could be one of the main beneficiaries of those down-field shots.

“As a receiver, you always want a quarterback that can trust his arm and make that long throw,” Philpot said. “Those balls are coming out of our breaks after three steps. That’s something you don’t have all the time.

“All five (receivers) can hit home runs every game and on every play. That’s definitely a different dynamic to the offence.”