Bethel-Thompson to start for Elks in place of injured Ford against Tiger-Cats in Hamilton
![McLeod Bethel-Thompson Edmonton Elks quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson in action against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 28, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/8/16/mcleod-bethel-thompson-1-7003850-1723838898095.jpg)
Tre Ford is out and McLeod Bethel-Thompson is in at starting quarterback for the Edmonton Elks on Saturday in Hamilton, the Canadian Football League team announced Friday.
Ford, who started the last two Elks games — both wins, their only two of the 2024 season so far — left last weekend's game against the visiting B.C. Lions with an injury.
Bethel-Thompson is listed as the starter on the Elks' depth chart for Saturday's game (5 p.m. MT) against the host Tiger-Cats (2-7), with Dakota Prukop and Justin Doege backing him up, while Ford is listed as 'out.'
In Sunday's 33-16 Elks win over the Lions, Bethel-Thompson completed 14 of 18 passes for 171 yards while throwing for a touchdown and an interception after replacing Ford, who had gone six-for-six passing for 96 yards, in the second quarter.
In nine games this season, the 36-year-old Bethel-Thompson, a former Toronto Argonauts starter who joined the Elks (2-7) this year as a free agent, has thrown for 1,959 yards, 10 TDs and nine interceptions.
Ford saw his first game action of 2024 on July 28 in the Elks' home loss to the Tiger-Cats, coming into the game in the fourth quarter in relief of a struggling Bethel-Thompson and throwing for 121 yards and three TDs.
The 26-year-old Canadian signal-caller, drafted by the Elks two years ago, started a week later in Regina and led them to their first win of the season, dominating the West Division-leading Saskatchewan Roughriders by a score of 42-31.
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