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News September 23, 2025

Need to Know | Week 17

Zach Collaros was back at his post at practice on Tuesday; photos by Cameron Bartlett

@EdTaitWFC

The Canadian Football League got a jolt this week with the announcement of the bold rule changes coming in 2026-27, but in the right here and right now the biggest news in Bomberland on Tuesday was this:

Quarterback Zach Collaros was back behind centre when the team returned to practice. And while it’s still to be determined whether the veteran centre takes the first snap in Saturday’s Orange Shirt Game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, seeing #8 back at the controls is potentially mammoth for a team that knocked off the Ottawa Redblacks on the weekend despite completing just three of eight pass attempts for 54 yards.

For the record, Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea would not confirm that Collaros would return on Saturday, stating: “We’ll just have to let him go through the night, see him in the morning; check in on him and see how he is.”

“It’s been tough not being on the field,” Collaros told a throng of media after Tuesday’s practice. “We talk about it often — you don’t get a ton of opportunities in this game to play, so any time you miss time and miss being out there with the guys is tough.”

Collaros has missed four starts this season — including one for a suspension — and did not complete three other games with what were called neck and head injuries. His last appearance came in the Banjo Bowl loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders when he was levelled by CJ Reavis and did not return.

Chris Streveler is 3-1 in the four starts he made as the replacement but, outside of his excellent work in the season opener and a win over the B.C. Lions, the offence has struggled without Collaros.

After the Banjo Bowl hit, several pundits — including Blue Bombers legend Milt Stegall — weighed in on the future of Collaros, suggesting he should retire rather than risk further injury.

Asked about the Stegall commentary and how much he thinks or talks about that, Collaros said:

“Health is an ongoing conversation, obviously. Without being too inflammatory, to address some of that stuff, I don’t pay attention to stuff outside the building. I heard about that comment a couple days after from my wife.

“While I appreciate the concern — not just from Milt, but from other people — it’s not like we make rash decisions in this building or with my family. There’s nobody that cares more about me than my wife — my children or my mom would probably beg to differ — but there’s nothing about playing the game and health that is made in a vacuum.”

Much of the reaction from fans, media and other players — past or present — does come from a place of caring. That’s not lost on Collaros.

“Talking to some friends about that kind of stuff, I appreciate people’s concerns,” he said. “I have children, so as a father, as a mother you’re watching something like that (seeing him injured) … and if you’re somebody who has followed the game for a long time, obviously you know who I am and you’ve seen me have to come out of games sometimes throughout my career.

“From a knee-jerk reaction standpoint, I can totally understand people’s concern with that. I’m not upset at that at all, and I get it. At the same time, talking about my livelihood and how I deal with my life and my family is not really other people’s concern.

“Again, I appreciate people’s concern but if I shouldn’t be out here, I wouldn’t be out here.”

OUCH REPORT: The Blue Bombers were without CB Jamal Parker, Jr. on Tuesday, along with DB Michael Griffin II and WR Keric Wheatfall, who was in uniform for the session but was limited.

On the flip side, DT Jamal Woods saw his workload with the defence increase substantially and receiver Jerreth Sterns also looks good to go.