Argos name Franklin starter with Ray sidelined

With Ricky Ray on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, Marc Trestman has turned to James Franklin as the Toronto Argonauts' starting quarterback for the team's Week 4 contest versus the Edmonton Eskimos.

The head coach told TSN's Matt Scianitti on Monday that it was a "figurative coin flip" between Franklin or McLeod Bethel-Thompson.

Franklin came on for Ray after he suffered a neck injury in the Argos' last contest, throwing for 65 yards on 8-of-13 passing while adding 14 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Trestman said Monday that it will be a month before Ray's availability for the rest of the season can be assessed. A week ago, the Argonauts noted he'd miss significant time, and doctors have reportedly advised him to sit out for the rest of the campaign.