Makai Polk went through an experience many athletes have to endure, suffering an injury and undergoing a lengthy, frustrating rehabilitation process. The Toronto Argonauts receiver, spent four weeks in a boot, stabilizing a broken bone in his foot that kept him out of the lineup for the last six games.

“It felt like I had a new leg, a new foot,” he replied to Argonauts.ca when asked how it felt to finally get the boot off. “Not being able to walk on my foot for four weeks was difficult and different. When I got out of it, I felt new. Eventually everything started feeling fresh.”

Polk’s stint on the injured list is over, and he’ll be back in the lineup on Friday when the Argos visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He’s looking forward to finally being able to run out of the tunnel with his teammates again and admits it might be an emotional moment for him.

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“I might shed a little tear, maybe,” the Richmond, California native said with a smile. “I’m just excited to be back. To go out there and dominate is my plan for these four games leading up to the playoffs.”

He was dominant in the eight games he played before the injury. Polk caught 37 passes for 571 yards and six touchdowns. He was on pace for 1,285 yards, and he still ranks in the top 30 in receiving yards and in the top 10 in touchdown catches despite missing one-third of a full CFL season.

He now rejoins an incredibly productive receiving group where four pass catchers are on pace for over 1,000 yards. He’ll primarily line up next to Damonte Coxie on the boundary side, reuniting a formidable short side duo.

“He has great speed, great hands, and we have great chemistry, we’ve been playing together for a while.” Coxie said of his teammate. “The longer you play with someone, you know what they’re going to do, like making moves after a catch. I know what to expect with him.”

Polk’s road to this point in his career has been, at times, a bumpy one. After leading the SEC with 105 catches in his final season as Mississippi State, he spent a couple of years on the practice rosters of the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens before heading north.

In the 2024 season he led the Argos with 1,024 yards with 5 touchdown catches and was named an East All-Star and the team’s Most Outstanding Rookie. He capped his season off with a Grey Cup ring before giving the NFL another shot with Atlanta. It didn’t work out and he rejoined the Argos in time for last year’s Labour Day Classic.

His career has resembled an elevator ride at times, but he used those NFL disappointments to his advantage while mentally trying to cope with this year’s injury. He mentioned prayer helped get him through the toughest of times, but realizes he could only do so much in terms of speeding up his recovery.

“You can only control what you control,” he explained. “My issue was not soft tissue; it was a bone break. That’s something I can’t control in terms of the healing process. I just had to rely on my teammates, spend as much time with them as I could, and spend as much time as I could on the phone with my family.”

The only person who may be as happy as the athlete is about Polk’s return is head coach Mike Miller.

“You saw some of his playmaking ability on display earlier this year,” the coach told Argonauts.ca. “He plays physical and you have that experience. He’s been battle tested and we’re excited to have him back. Kai works very hard. He’s very talented and he comes to work to get better every day.”

In Polk’s absence the team really didn’t skip a beat because of the depth at that position. Jake Herslow fit in seamlessly until he was hurt, Solomon Davis started against Ottawa, then Dymere Miller got the nod last week against Edmonton and caught three passes for 90 yards, including a 57-yard bomb, and a touchdown pass after a ridiculous scramble by Chad Kelly.

Polk’s return gives the team its original starting group for the first time since the first game at BMO Field this year, August 6 against Calgary.