He’s a durable and consistent bulldozer with the ball tucked under his arm, an underrated receiver out of the backfield and a ferocious blocker in pass protection.
He’s also still just 28 years old and rocketing up the Winnipeg Blue Bombers franchise chart for rushing yards, already listed among of the legends of the game.
He’s from Winnipeg and proud to support his hometown.
And, FYI, in his spare time he and his partner Alex Blumberg rescue dogs in this province and in places all over the globe, passionately serving as advocates to the point that their red-carpet premiere of their new show ‘Must Love Dogs’ on CBC Gem on Monday night raised over $100,000 for three local rescue agencies in K-9 Advocacy, Winnipeg Pet Rescue and Manitoba Animal Alliance.
So, heck yeah, who wouldn’t be vigorously waving the pom-poms for Brady Oliveira?
Brady Oliveira
We’re on to the seventh chapter in our annual Positional Preview series today by zooming in on the running back/fullback position and, naturally, that discussion for the most part begins and ends with Oliveira, the club’s popular hometown product and a Canadian Football League shining star.
Oliveira has cranked out four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons heading into 2026 and now ranks sixth in franchise history in career yards at 5,480 yards, trailing only Charles Roberts (9,987), Leo Lewis (8,861), Willard Reaves (5,923), Jim Washington (5,736) and Gerry James (5,541).
His 1,163 yards rushing last season — and a career high 61 receptions for 546 yards — are particularly impressive given the struggles of the passing attack, which finished last in the CFL in yardage, as defences subsequently fixated on #20 as the one constant in Winnipeg’s attack.
The club found some depth behind him on draft day in 2025, swinging a trade to land Matthew Peterson — the University of Alberta product and Canada West Player of the Year in 2023 — from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
His impact was almost immediate, as he stepped in to replace an injured Oliveira in the first game of the year, coming off the bench to rush for 130 yards and a touchdown in a win over the B.C. Lions.
Matthew Peterson
Peterson finished the year ranked second on the club in rushing with 329 yards on 66 carries and certainly flashed enough to feel comfortable with him handling the work should Oliveira be out of the game or the lineup.
Michael Chris-Ike, a second-round selection in the 2024 CFL Canadian Draft, mans the fullback position and saw his role increase last season by dressing for every game, getting the odd touch out of the backfield while contributing on special teams.
The Blue Bombers may augment their Canadian backfield in next week’s draft, but there is already in place what the club needs on the roster here with a star like Oliveira and two capable homegrown products in Peterson and Chris-Ike.
Now, some may say it’s overly simplistic to say it’s Oliveira or bust when it comes to the ground game, but if the catchphrase fits, it fits.
Winnipeg’s own is a already a winner of the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Award, was twice named the league’s top Canadian and with every carry is cementing his place in the hall of fame and the club’s ring of honour.
And if you ask the man himself, he’ll emphatically insist this: there’s much, much more to come.
POSITIONAL PREVIEW ’26
The Running Backs/Fullbacks
Fullback Michael Chris-Ike
Running backs coach: Jason Hogan
The Returnees:
Starter: Brady Oliveira*
Returning vets: RB Matthew Peterson, FB Michael Chris-Ike*
Newcomers: OJ Arnold, Stevie Rocker, Jr.
Departed: Peyton Logan (Toronto), Quinton Cooley (released last year)
*Indicates Canadian
Keep an eye on:
OJ Arnold, #38
Arnold, who was just signed last week, had a sensational season last year at Georgia Southern, rushing for 1,042 yards and five TDs while being named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team. Over his career at Georgia Southern he had 2,016 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns, adding 66 catches for 539 yards and four TDs.
It’s virtually impossible to unseat Oliveira and Peterson is set as the No. 2 back, but this is a position that takes a pounding and reserve talent — be it Canadian or American — is vital.
Did you know?
Since the turn of the millennium the Blue Bombers have had nine rushing champs — Charles Roberts (2003, 2005, 2006), Fred Reid (2010), Andrew Harris (2017-19) and Oliveira (2023-24).
Calgary is next with seven over that span — including Dedrick Mills last year — followed by Montreal with four, while Toronto, Edmonton, Hamilton and B.C. have each had one rushing champ since 2000.
Notable Number:
Winnipeg’s rushing totals were one of the few offensive categories that saw an increase in 2025, as the club finished second in the league with an average of 124.1 yards per game — up from 111.7 in 2024.
