Collaros locked in ‘He’s a winner and he’s a leader and we just want him here,’ says Bombers GM Walters after star QB signs three-year extension By: Jeff Hamilton Posted: 7:27 AM CDT Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022

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This article was published 17/10/2022 (702 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s an interesting, if not downright dreadful thought to ponder: where might the Winnipeg Blue Bombers be today had they not crossed paths with Zach Collaros?

Picked up in a last-minute deal with the Toronto Argonauts at the league’s trade deadline almost exactly three years ago, acquiring Collaros proved to be the catalyst in winning not one, but back-to-back Grey Cups.

The first, in 2019, snapped a seemingly never-ending 28-year championship drought, while the second, in 2021 (a year after the CFL shut the lights off for a year due to COVID-19), proved not only that the first was no fluke, but also ushered in a new era of dominance the likes of which hadn’t been seen in these parts for some time.

Now, with Tuesday’s announcement Collaros has signed a three-year extension, keeping the club’s franchise quarterback in blue and gold through the 2025 season, there’s an equally intriguing question to ask: where might Collaros take the Bombers from here?

Only time will reveal such answers, but locking in such a significant piece for the foreseeable future makes any potential prospect seem bright. With one regular season game left to be played this year, the Bombers are a CFL-best 14-3, have already locked up the West Division and are once again favourites to win a third straight league title – something that hasn’t been achieved in the franchise’s nearly 100-year history.

“Blessed. Lucky. Very fortunate,” were the words Collaros used to describe his journey to Winnipeg, during a 15-minute press conference at IG Field. “Just very fortunate to be part of the organization, be part of the community, city and province. I say this a lot, but it’s a credit to the organization here for fostering that environment. To be involved in that, I’m very fortunate and I’d like to continue that moving forward.”

Blessed. Lucky. Very fortunate. While Bombers general manager Kyle Walters didn’t outright echo those words, there’s no doubt he feels them.

Under Collaros, the Bombers have become the class of the CFL. The 34-year old Ohio native currently leads the league in passing touchdowns (35) and is second in yards (4,115), both of which are personal single-season bests, suggesting he’s only getting better with age.

Collaros is a near lock to be named the league’s most outstanding player for a second straight year and, because of his time in Winnipeg, which includes a 31-4 record as a starter, is undoubtedly a future Hall-of-Famer. He was set to become a free agent in February.

“He’s a winner and he’s a leader and we just want him here. It’s as simple as that,” Walters said. “We’re lucky that it worked out the way it did for us, and happy to have him locked in.”

Walters admitted there was some urgency to get Collaros under contract for next year and beyond, even if negotiations, which began in August, went fairly seamlessly. Collaros said he had told his agent, Dan Vertlieb, for years, ever since winning in 2019, that he hoped to stay in Winnipeg long term.

Until now, though, Collaros had signed only one-year contracts, leaving the door open to leave following each Grey Cup-winning campaign. A notable reason why he signed a three-year pact this time around is because of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, which now includes the opportunity to earn guaranteed money.

In total, Collaros will make $1.8 million over the next three years, an average of $600,000 per season. That’s a modest raise from the CFL-high $550,000 he’s making this season and likely much less than he could have fetched on the open market.

“There’s a lot of volatility in our profession, but just knowing I’ll be playing out of here two, three years in advance is cool and something I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to do, especially since I’ve been married to my wife.”–Zach Collaros

Collaros received the maximum of guaranteed money on his deal, which, under the new CBA, means he’s owed half of his final year. Assuming his salary for 2025 is $600,000, that would mean a guarantee of $300,000.

“It just it adds some stability and certainty, to a point, as much as you can get to in this business,” Collaros said. “There’s a lot of volatility in our profession, but just knowing I’ll be playing out of here two, three years in advance is cool and something I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to do, especially since I’ve been married to my wife.”

Collaros said the only approval he needed was from his partner, Nicole, who is from the Toronto area, where they and their two children call home in the off-season. It didn’t take much convincing, as both of them have grown to adore Winnipeg and what it has to offer.

It’s no secret that Collaros is fond of the entire Bombers organization, particularly his coaches and teammates, and it’s those relationships he’s fostered over his time in Winnipeg that has him wanting to come back year after year. He and Walters hope that signing a three-year commitment will lead to others renewing their contracts, in order to continue building something special.

“A lot has changed in my life, personally, since joining the organization. I tell a lot of those guys in the locker-room, I thank them often for their leadership,” said Collaros. “We have guys… that I kind of sit back and I watch and try to take something from them, the way they conduct themselves, not just in the building but at home with their families, too. I think I’ve grown a lot, personally, so I try to go out of my way to thank those guys for that, and the way they handle themselves.”

“I love the game. I love everything about the game. It’s brought me so much joy in my life, not just playing the game, but everything that’s procreated off of it, the people I’ve met. I love being part of the game-planning. I love taking care of my body, working out. I love being in the locker-room with the guys. I’m sure everybody you would ask would say the same thing. It’s hard to think past it.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton