WINNIPEG — Zach Collaros considers himself patient, but more than a month without the sport he loves was starting to take its toll. Now at full health, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ veteran quarterback is eager to return to his spot behind centre Friday night against the Ottawa Redblacks at Princess Auto Stadium. “In football, you don’t have as many games as you would in other sports, so any time you miss one, you feel like you missed a lot,” Collaros said following walkthrough practice Thursday. “Especially as a quarterback who’s done it a long time, it’s just kind of in your DNA.” Collaros suffered a familiar neck injury early in the second quarter of a 14-13 Bombers win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 5. The 37-year-old pivot has a well-documented history with head and neck injuries over his career, including missing five games in 2025. Collaros has been with the Bombers for parts of seven seasons after joining the club late in 2019. He had led Winnipeg to five straight Grey Cup appearances — including back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2021 — and is third on the team’s all-time passing list with 19,225 yards, trailing only Dieter Brock (29,623) and Khari Jones (20,175). “The organization, since I got here, has always put my interests first, to protect me no matter what,” Collaros said. “That can be frustrating, obviously, because you really want to get out there. At the same time, you have to look at the bigger picture, not just for yourself, but for the team.” The Bombers (4-4) will also get a boost by the return of offensive lineman Jarell Broxton, who missed the last game with a knee injury suffered in Week 8. Winnipeg has lost the last two games on home soil, surrendering 87 points in defeats against the Calgary Stampeders and B.C. Lions. Winnipeg has four home losses on the season — the most since 2016 — putting the Bombers at risk of falling out of the playoff picture in the West Division with the Stampeders (4-5) and Lions (3-5) close behind. The Ottawa Redblacks (0-8) arrive in Winnipeg still searching for their first victory. Finishing with six straight losses to end last season, Ottawa’s combined losing streak now sits at 14 games. Despite Ottawa’s winless record, head coach Mike O’Shea insists his team can’t take anyone lightly, no matter how desperate they appear. “What’s really easy is always expecting your opponent’s best,” O’Shea said. “If you go in always knowing that they’re going to be well-coached, they’re going to play their hearts out, they’re going to compete, it’s going to be physical... I don’t think you have the ability to let down.” The Redblacks have lost four games by a single score, though they have been dominated in recent weeks, falling by at least 21 points in each of their last two games. One of Ottawa’s best efforts came in a 36-34 loss to the Bombers last month, a game that lasted four overtime rounds and ended in a two-point shootout defeat for the Redblacks. “The teams (without a win), they have the most energy going into games because they’re desperate for that win, and they’re playing for their jobs,” Bombers defensive lineman Jake Ceresna said. “There’s nothing off the table for them, and they’re going to come out fast and ready for a fight.” Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, who is also the general manager, took over the dual role in Ottawa after five seasons as the bench boss in Toronto, where he led the Argonauts to a pair of Grey Cup championships (2022, 2024). With the losses piling up, Dinwiddie fired defensive co-ordinator Will Fields, then released four starters, including star receiver Eugene Lewis and defensive back Demerio Houston. Ottawa has seven changes to their lineup from a week ago. The moves strongly suggest the Redblacks are already looking to next season. “Yeah, that’s not the case,” Dinwiddie confirmed. “When we made those moves, I made sure I addressed the team and let them know that’s not the case. We’re making this decision to get a spark on defence.” Ottawa quarterback Jake Maier said the season hasn’t been easy, but the team is doing its best to stick together and is focused on earning a victory. “I’ve seen frustration, and I’ve seen raw emotion, but I haven’t seen anything that would suggest that we don’t like each other still,” Maier said. “But this business is so much deeper than how much you like each other and how much you’re accountable to each other. It’s about executing. It’s about producing at a high level. So that’s the next step we have to take.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2026. Jeff Hamilton, The Canadian Press
