There is no time like the present for Joel Figueroa.

And considering his recent role as a starter with the Edmonton Eskimos is coinciding with a return to Hamilton where he spent his first three CFL seasons with the Tiger-Cats, he would like nothing more than to help gift wrap a victory over his former team Friday.

The six-foot-six, 320-pound Miami product played his first game with the Eskimos last week against the B.C. Lions in place of injured starting left tackle Tony Washington (leg), who isn’t expected to return this week either.

“Everything went well, as expected,” Figueroa said of his first game since an injury-bitten 2015 season that only saw him make six starts with the Tabbies. “I’ve been here for a while now and give the team my all.

“So I’ve been preparing every week to be ready to go and I finally got an opportunity to play.”

He knew back in free agency chances would come few and far between when he joined the defending champions, who were returning all five starters on the offensive line.

“Ideally, that’s not what a player wants, me being very competitive, but that was the situation,” said Figueroa, who started 26 games with the Ticats, as well as playing in the 2013 and ’14 Grey Cup finals. “We have great guys here, every single guy that’s been here.

“They’ve won a Grey Cup and I want to be a part of that, that’s why I’m here.”

IN AND OUT: Eskimos LB J.C. Sherritt and SB Adarius Bowman returned to the practice field after taking Tuesday’s session off. CB Patrick Watkins remains sidelined with a knee injury suffered in Saturday’s game against the B.C. Lions. WR Nate Coehoorn (shoulder) wasn’t practising after having collided with a teammate Tuesday.

GModdejonge@postmedia.com

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