Blue Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols returns to practice but starter undeclared for Saturday

WINNIPEG – It was a sight for sore eyes for fans of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Starting quarterback Matt Nichols was back on the practice field exactly four weeks to the day since limping off the field in practice with an injury.

Wearing a brace on his injured right knee Nichols was back running the first string offence on Wednesday. All signs point to Nichols starting on Saturday against the B.C. Lions but head coach Mike O’Shea said it was too early to anoint Nichols their starting quarterback just yet.

“I thought Matt looked good today,” O’Shea said.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "I thought Matt looked good today," O'Shea said.

“As always, I mean, he’s been out four plus weeks and with everybody else it’s really a question of how he feels tomorrow, more than how he felt today.”

RELATED: Winnipeg Blue Bombers remove Matt Nichols from 6-game injured list

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Despite missing their starting quarterback for the first three games of the season the Bombers have still scored the most points in the entire CFL. While rookie Chris Streveler filled in admirably, the 31-year-old Nichols still brings that veteran leadership to the table after serving as the Bombers starter the past two and a half seasons.

RELATED: Injured Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols ‘ahead of schedule’

“Seeing ‘Matty Ice’ smile and just his presence,” receiver Adarius Bowman said. “Just excited to get your brother back out there man. It’s like having one of your troops missing for awhile and then he’s back, so it puts an extra boost in the whole offence.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "Seeing 'Matty Ice' smile and just his presence," receiver Adarius Bowman said. "Just excited to get your brother back out there man. It's like having one of your troops missing for awhile and then he's back, so it puts an extra boost in the whole offence."

“Matty is that veteran guy that’s just, they’ve been around so they know the ins and outs. They just know the situation that you at, so it’s going to be good just having him back out there. It makes everybody feel good.”

RELATED: Bombers QB Matt Nichols suffers non-contact injury at practice

“He’s been our leader for the last couple years here and a guy that knows our offence really well,” receiver Weston Dressler said. “And for me personally, just having that familiarity with him, comfort with him, knowing more often than not we’re seeing the same things. So he’s a pretty good quarterback in this league.”

After two straight games on the road the Bombers will host the B.C. Lions on Saturday starting at 7:30 pm at Investors Group Field.

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