Training camp had barely begun for Philippe Gagnon when, suddenly, it was over.

A “freak accident,” in the form of a bicep injury suffered during “a regular play,” sidelined the Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive lineman until he returned to the practice field on Tuesday — with five games (plus playoffs) remaining in the CFL team’s 2025 schedule.

Gagnon’s recovery was always, in the words of Head Coach Corey Mace, “a clip ahead” of schedule.

“The initial timeline they gave me was a little tight, but I knew I could make it fit if I was serious in my rehab and I was serious in the gym,” Gagnon said on Wednesday. “I knew that if I kept my nose in the books, I would be ready when my time (on the sideline) was going to be up.

“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised — I know all the effort that I put into this to be back — but I’m definitely happy to be back.”

Gagnon, who made his CFL debut in 2016 and played in a game that year at historic Mosaic Stadium, signed with Saskatchewan as a free agent on Feb. 11 after spending seven seasons with the Montreal Alouettes and one with the Ottawa REDBLACKS.

Lauded by Roughriders quarterback (and former Alouettes teammate) Trevor Harris as a “strong, physical, mauling type of guard,” Gagnon brought a championship pedigree due to his contributions with Montreal during its Grey Cup-winning season of 2023.

With Gagnon on the shelf, the Roughriders soared to the top of the league’s regular-season standings by winning 10 of their first 13 games.

Thanks to his intensive and determined rehabilitation regimen, he can now be part of the successes on the field. That must be a source of considerable pride, but Gagnon is focusing on far more than, say, patting himself on the back.

“The work’s not done, right?” he emphasized. “We haven’t done what we set out to do this year. We haven’t done anything yet. We’ve clinched a playoff spot and that’s it.

“We’re still looking for that first-week bye in the playoffs. We’re still looking to go the way. We’re still looking to win it all, so the work’s not done.

“When it’s all said and done, I’ll sit back and think about it, but for now there’s more work to be done.”

In Gagnon’s case, much of his work to this point has been done outside the public eye. Whether he has been in the meeting room, the weight room or consulting with athletic therapists and doctors, he has attacked the rigorous recuperation process as he would a rival defensive lineman.

“(The injury) was a setback,” he said. “It was something I didn’t want to see happen, but it did. There’s no point in complaining. You’re not going to get any better if you just pout and complain in the corner, so I figured, ‘You’ve just got to work more now.’

“I knew it was already going to be hard to earn a spot on this team, because it’s filled with talented players. I knew that if I couldn’t even practise and I couldn’t even be a part of this team, I’d have to work twice as hard, so I go twice as hard in the gym and twice as hard in the meeting room.”

The 33-year-old native of L’Ancienne-Lorette, Que. opted to remain in Regina throughout the lengthy and gruelling rehabilitation process.

“To have that injury in training camp was really tough for him, but he made it very clear from that day that he wasn’t going back east,” Mace said.

“He was staying here. He wanted to be with the team and be with his brothers and attack rehab like crazy. He said he was going to be back and he’s a man of his word.

“It’s awesome for him. I love to see him out there.”

Gagnon’s availability is especially timely because Zack Fry, who has started seven of the past eight games at left guard, has yet to practise this week due to a knee injury.

Cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, who has already sat out one game with a head injury, did not practise on Tuesday or Wednesday. Mace said it will be “maybe a week or two” before Campbell — who has a league-high six interceptions — can return to the lineup.

Next up for the Roughriders is Saturday’s game against the host Edmonton Elks.

Saskatchewan is also on the road on Oct. 3 versus Ottawa before playing host to the Toronto Argonauts on Oct. 10 in the annual “Lights Out” game.