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“He was able to do some non-competitive drills, so that’s a good sign, but it’s going to be day-to-day, if not week-to-week,” said Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson. “There’s certainly some injury, so you’ve got to be smart about it, but I think a lot of pro athletes have played with injuries. It’s just whether or not he can be not only capable, but can do a good job and run our offence.”

Even the decision to remove Mitchell from Thursday’s win over the RedBlacks was largely precautionary. After staying down on the turf for a minute or two following the hit from Mason, Mitchell stayed in the game to finish the Stamps drive.

After that, backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle took over, but Mitchell was able to stand on the sideline and moved around comfortably.

“I had a big relief when I was just able to stand up and finish the drive,” Mitchell said. “I wanted to show my guys a little something, that I love this sport, I love this game and you never know when your last play is.

“I wanted to make sure (his Stampeders teammates knew) that I could stand on it and go out and finish the drive. It hurt, but it felt good to get down there and get a field goal out of it.”

After Monday’s practice, Mitchell sounded like a man who wants to play this weekend and help the Stampeders improve their undefeated record to 5-0. He’ll no doubt be consulted, but the final decision will rest with Dickenson.

The question won’t be whether he can throw the ball, but instead whether he has the mobility to move around in the pocket and avoid taking hits that might cause further damage.