Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ quarterback Zach Collaros knows he is closer to the end of his CFL career than the start of it, but isn’t ready to put a cap on how many more years he can play.
“I have thought about it, but it’s something that’s always been in the back of your head,” the 36-year-old said during 680 CJOB’s Bomber Winter Special this week.
“I still love what I’m doing. I love waking up in the morning and going through the routine of working out in the offseason and trying to get better for the season. I love the grind of the season. I love breaking down tape, practice, the meetings, getting to know new teammates, old teammates — all of those things. I’m still really loving the entire process that is football, so I don’t want to put a deadline on anything quite yet.”
Collaros set a new career-high with 4,336 yards passing in 2024 while posting his best rushing total — 168 yards — since 2014. However, he also tied a career-high with 15 interceptions and tossed just 17 touchdowns for his lowest total since becoming the Bombers’ full-time starter in 2021.
The two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player struggled early in the year as Winnipeg stumbled to a 2-6 start, including four straight losses to open the season. The team was able to turn things around en route to a fifth consecutive Grey Cup appearance, but that wasn’t always easy for the quarterback.
“For me personally, I don’t think it was a one of the more enjoyable seasons from a success factor,” Collaros acknowledged. “Obviously, we had a lot of things that started slowly. We had to piece a lot of things together. It was a weird one, for sure, but I love the group of guys that we had.”
The biggest blow came in the Grey Cup, where the Bombers suffered their third consecutive championship loss at the hands of the Toronto Argonauts. A tight battle turned late in the third quarter when Collaros hit his throwing hand on a helmet and suffered a deep laceration to his right index finger. After retreating to the locker room, the veteran QB returned with five stitches and a glove for protection but struggled to grip the football. He finished the game 15-of-30 passing for 202 yards and four interceptions — three of which came after the injury.
While Collaros says he’s still working through scar tissue from the injury, he does not expect it to limit him going forward.
“It’s doing better. It was a little bit of a process there and I’m still working through some things, but it’s been good,” he said. “The doctors that were there in Vancouver when it went down did a great job of stitching it back together and it’s healed well.”
The Steubenville, Oh. native has little left to prove as a professional quarterback and already boasts a first-ballot Hall of Fame resume. However, his fire to keep playing hasn’t dwindled despite last season’s challenges and he remains focused on avenging Winnipeg’s Grey Cup losing streak, this time with the added incentive of the game taking place at home.
“Obviously, this is no secret, I think we have the best franchise in the league and the best leadership. The game itself, the Grey Cup experience, is going to be first class as everything is within our organization,” Collaros said. “That’s what we’re working for every single season to get to that game and to win it, and how special would that be if we were able to do it at home?”
The Bombers will open their 2025 regular season with a Week 1 bye before hosting the B.C. Lions at Princess Auto Stadium on Thursday, June 12 with kickoff slated for 8:30 p.m. EDT.
