Manitoba

Nichols injury forces Bombers to go with rookie QB to start season

Rookie Chris Streveler will start at quarterback for Winnipeg on Thursday night when the Blue Bombers kick off the 2018 CFL season against the Edmonton Eskimos.

Chris Streveler played last year at University of South Dakota

Rookie Chris Streveler will start at quarterback for the Blue Bombers when they open their season on Thursday against Edmonton. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

Rookie Chris Streveler will start at quarterback for Winnipeg on Thursday night when the Blue Bombers kick off the 2018 CFL season against the Edmonton Eskimos.

Streveler replaces incumbent Matt Nichols, who suffered a knee injury last week and is out four-to-six weeks.

Winnipeg head coach Mike O'Shea named Streveler, 23, the club's starter Monday.

Streveler played collegiately last year at the University of South Dakota.

He'll become the first rookie to start in the CFL a year after playing in the college ranks since 1994, when Anthony Calvillo did it with the Las Vegas Posse.