Calgary Stampeders quarterback Drew Tate grabs his left arm as he is attended to by trainers after being injured during the first half of their CFL game against the Toronto Argonauts in Toronto July 7, 2012.MIKE CASSESE/Reuters
The Calgary Stampeders have likely lost their No. 1 quarterback for the balance of the 2012 CFL season.
Drew Tate, who dislocated his left shoulder July 7 against the Toronto Argonauts, announced Sunday he would undergo surgery rather than delay it. The surgery will occur as soon as possible with Tate's recovery time expected to be four months.
"Drew stopped by my office this morning and told me about his decision to have his shoulder operated on," Stampeders' head coach and general manager John Hufnagel said in a statement. "We are here to support Drew in his recovery and look forward to having him back on the football field in four months. We will do everything we can to help Drew in his road to recovery."
Tate dislocated the shoulder in the first quarter of the Stamps' 39-36 loss to Toronto in Week 2. It was the second time he has injured his left shoulder as it was originally dislocated during a pre-season game prior to the 2011 regular season.
"The Stampeders gave me all the necessary information and I had to make a difficult decision," Tate said in a news release. "I believe this is the best decision to help me reach my goal of having a long, successful career in this league. I'm disappointed but I'm going to work hard to come back stronger and better than ever."
Kevin Glenn will continue the as the Stampeders' starting quaterback. His backups are import Bo Levi Mitchell and Canadian Brad Sinopoli.