(Hamilton) Veteran Matthew Shiltz will be the starting quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats against the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League Eastern Division semi-final on Saturday at Percival-Molson Stadium.
Shiltz’s name appeared at the top of the Tiger-Cats roster, as revealed Friday.
The decision is not surprising considering Shiltz took part in most of the first team’s practice Thursday at Tim Hortons Field.
The name of Bo Levi Mitchell, who started the last three games of the Tiger-Cats in the regular season, is listed as quarterback number two.
However, Orlondo Steinauer, head coach of the Tiger-Cats, said Thursday that he expects to see both of his quarterbacks play on Saturday.
The 33-year-old Mitchell returned to action after suffering a broken leg on July 28 against the Ottawa Redblacks, which required surgery.
In last week’s 22-20 loss to the Alouettes, Mitchell was replaced by rookie quarterback Taylor Powell.
Furthermore, Shiltz took over for Mitchell against the British Columbia Lions and against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, respectively.
Injuries limited Mitchell to just six starts this season, his first with the Tiger-Cats. He completed 78 of his 133 passes (58.6% efficiency) for 1,031 yards, six touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2023.
Shiltz, a 30-year-old American, is in his second season with the Tiger-Cats. He started three of the 11 games he played this year, and completed 108 of his 161 passes (67.1%) for 1,556 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
He began his career in the CFL with the Alouettes, with whom he played from 2017 to 2019, then in 2021, before joining the Tiger-Cats.