Winnipeg Blue Bombers officially deem Zach Collaros active for East Final

Photo courtesy: Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Zach Collaros is officially active for the East Final. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers made the announcement roughly 45 minutes before kickoff.

Collaros is listed as the starting quarterback on the Bombers’ depth chart, but was originally identified as a game-time decision. The team has now stated that he will play, though they did not officially say whether he will start.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Collaros declined to elaborate on the nature of his injury or clarify his status. He did not indicate whether he would dress in a backup capacity if physically unable to start.

Winnipeg did not practice on Tuesday and held a closed session on Wednesday, after which Collaros was listed as a limited participant on the club’s injury report. He did not practice on Thursday.

The 38-year-old did not play against the Toronto Argonauts in the East Semi-Final due to a rib injury he suffered against the B.C. Lions in Week 21. He was a limited participant in practice leading into the game and was officially listed as questionable.

Dru Brown started against the Argonauts in his place and completed 18-of-30 pass attempts for 206 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 25-22 win. He threw the game-winning score to Nic Demski with less than one minute left in regulation.

Winnipeg and Montreal met twice during the regular season, and split the two meetings. Collaros started when the Blue Bombers won 44-28 at Princess Auto Stadium in August, while Brown started in October when the Alouettes dominated 37-10 at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.

Collaros went 7-5 as a starter during the regular season, completing 70.4 percent of his passes for 2,989 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also rushed 12 times for 76 yards.