Winnipeg native Brady Oliveira took a hometown discount to stay with his beloved Blue Bombers, proving he’s not all about the money.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats put a full-court press on the league’s reigning Most Outstanding Canadian. CEO Scott Mitchell, general manager Ed Hervey, and head coach Scott Milanovich spoke to the CFL all-star running back. The Ticats offered $275,000 per season on a two-year contract, which totaled $550,000, but he politely turned it down.
The B.C. Lions’ initial offer was a three-year package starting with $250,800 in the first season and growing to $256,800 and $262,800 in the second and third seasons, respectively. The deal could likely have been negotiated to $265,000, $275,000, and $285,000 and Oliveira’s girlfriend, Alex Blumberg, has roots on the West Coast. However, the couple is committed to Winnipeg, Oliveira’s hometown.
“I am loyal to my team, loyal to my guys and loyal to my city. Both Hamilton and B.C. were going to pay me substantial amounts more, but I needed to be in Winnipeg,” Oliveira said.
“I am glad Winnipeg made it work and I made it work with them. I made a commitment to them and I wanted to see the same. I am extremely happy I’m at home.”
The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts checked in with Oliveira’s agent but quickly found out it would be a high price to compete to try and pull him out of Winnipeg. The 26-year-old was the consensus No. 1 pending free agent in the CFL, leveraging an incredible 2023 season into premier offers.
Oliveira was named the West Division’s Most Outstanding Player in 2023 after rushing 260 times for 1,534 yards and nine touchdowns and catching 38 passes for 482 yards and four touchdowns. He became the second Canadian player in league history to reach 2,000 yards from scrimmage in a single season, the other being Canadian Football Hall of Fame running back Jon Cornish.
Oliveira, who made his NFL aspirations known during the off-season, indicated that he drew “pretty strong interest” from the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills, though neither team was comfortable bringing him in from a numbers perspective. He considers the NFL in the rearview mirror.
Winnipeg Football Club president and CEO Wade Miller got involved and made the deal happen. Oliveira signed a two-year contract worth $230,000 in year one and $240,000 in year two, including a $100,000 signing bonus. That ties the five-foot-ten, 222-pound ball-carrier to the Bombers through the 2025 season as Winnipeg hosts the Grey Cup that year.
The Blue Bombers open the 2024 regular season by hosting the CFL champion Montreal Alouettes at Princess Auto Stadium on Thursday, June 6.
