Bombers’ GM well aware of needed changes for club to get back to winning ways

Where do the Winnipeg Blue Bombers go from here?

Their starting quarterback isn’t getting any younger, the offensive line is starting to show cracks, their star running back isn’t guaranteed to return, their best receiver is recovering from another major knee injury, and around a dozen starters on defence could potentially hit free agency.

Returning to Grey Cup glory doesn’t seem so simple.

One of the key people tasked with getting the organization back to contender status is general manager Kyle Walters. He spoke to a room of reporters on Wednesday fresh off signing a three-year contract extension.

Bombers’ O’Shea keen to continue building ‘special’ franchise

Mike O’Shea had no shortage of reasons to pack up his things and head east.

On the personal side, he was born and raised in North Bay, Ont., went to the University of Guelph, spent 12 seasons of his hall of fame playing career with the Toronto Argonauts, and still has family — his mother and in-laws — who reside in southern Ontario today.

From a football standpoint, the Argos were reportedly offering more money and more authority. It also would’ve been a chance to tackle a new challenge, and an opportunity to reunite with his good pal and former teammate Pinball Clemons. Plus, there are signs that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and their aging core are trending downward.

On paper, Toronto seemed like an obvious fit.

Bombers president/CEO Miller receives Commissioner’s Award

Winnipeg Blue Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller was named the recipient of the CFL’s Commissioner Award prior to Grey Cup kickoff.

Riders roll to Grey Cup

The home of the Blue and Gold was littered with green and white confetti on Sunday.

Sorry Bomberland, sometimes nightmares do become reality.

After watching Winnipeg represent the West in five straight title games, the Saskatchewan Roughriders responded by walking into their Prairie rival’s backyard and beating the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 to capture the 112th Grey Cup.

“It feels even better to do it here,” said Riders defensive tackle Micah Johnson.

O’Shea, Walters staying put with Bombers

Mike O’Shea isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Kyle Walters.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers inked their head coach and general manager to new contracts on Friday, ending any debate about whether they would be back in 2026.

Both were on deals that were set to expire. The terms of their new contracts were not disclosed.

O’Shea returns for his 12th season as the Bombers’ bench boss, though it didn’t come without some drama. Earlier this week, the product of North Bay, Ont., flew to Toronto to interview for the Argonauts head coaching vacancy. It was later reported that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats also requested to speak with the 55-year-old.

CFL’s Johnston guarantees three-downs will not change

Commissioner Stewart Johnston was hardly on the job for six months before he rocked the Canadian Football League by implementing significant structural changes to the three-down game over the next two years.

While the CFL’s annual state of the league address always offers a full overview of the league’s health and future, this year’s session carried some extra weight.

The controversy over the league’s new rules — including the modified rouge and 35-second play clock in 2026, followed by the shortened field and goalposts moving to the back of reduced end zones in 2027 — meant many fans and other stakeholders were less interested in the usual corporate talk and more focused on getting clear answers.

Here are the key takeaways from Johnston’s address and the subsequent back and forth with reporters, offering a peek behind the curtain at where the CFL is focused as it heads into another critical off-season.

Bombers’ return ace Vaval named league’s top rookie and top special teams player

When Trey Vaval first set foot in Winnipeg for Blue Bombers training camp in May, he just wanted a chance to prove he belonged.

Seven months later, the dynamic returner didn’t just earn a spot on the roster, he became a household name and among the most dangerous weapons in the Canadian Football League.

That meteoric rise culminated this week when Vaval claimed two major honours, earning the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and Most Outstanding Rookie awards. Vaval is the third player in league history to win both awards in a single season, joining Winnipeg’s Albert Johnson III (2000) and Ottawa’s Lewis Ward (2018).

“Nah, not at all,” Vaval said when asked if he envisioned such a successful first season in the CFL. “Last year, I wasn’t even on a team. I was just at home with my family, working out and just waiting for an opportunity. Then getting to camp, I was just trying to make the team. I just wanted to make the team and be a part of the team and just play football. I wanted to do what I love. This wasn’t even something I was looking forward to.”

Running backs coach Harris looks to stay perfect in Grey Cup

Andrew Harris has never experienced a Grey Cup that didn’t involve Winnipeg.

He beat his hometown Blue Bombers in the 2011 championship as an up-and-coming running back with the B.C. Lions, won back-to-back titles as a member of the Blue and Gold in 2019 and 2021, and reached the top of the three-down league’s mountain again in 2022 when he helped the Toronto Argonauts upset a heavily favoured Winnipeg side.

Harris now has a chance at a fifth career ring this weekend — in a city and on a field that he knows extremely well — this time as a first-year running backs coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who will face the Montreal Alouettes at Princess Auto Stadium.

He’s also never experienced a loss on Grey Cup Sunday.

Former Bomber star Andrew Harris back in Winnipeg as a Roughrider coach

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have not won a Grey Cup game since their bitter parting with star running back Andrew Harris.

When Harris was reminded of that on Thursday, he quickly laughed with a satisfied smirk but did not respond verbally.

Harris has since won a Grey Cup ring with the Toronto Argonauts and is now the Saskatchewan Roughriders running back coach. If the Riders beat the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday, it will be his fifth CFL championship. He has never lost one.

“Yeah, it'd be five-for-five,” said Harris, adding that the Blue Bombers were involved in each one. “In ’11, beat Winnipeg (as a B.C. Lion), won two with Winnipeg (2019 and ’21), then beat Winnipeg with Toronto (2022). Now, I’m coaching in Winnipeg.

Veteran CFL QBs aging well

It’s hard to believe the Toronto Argonauts once had Ricky Ray, Jarious Jackson, Zach Collaros and Trevor Harris all in their quarterback room in 2012.

If you ask Harris, it’s even harder to believe he and Collaros — who broke into the CFL that season together as rookies — are still in the three-down loop today slinging it.

“I remember our first year in the league, we (were leaving after the season) and Swayze Waters (the Argos kicker at the time) was like ‘Man, we’re never going to see Zach Collaros ever again,’” said Harris.

“Because he was ready to go home. He was like ‘I’m done, I’m ready to get out of here.’ And here he is all this time later. I thought he’d get into coaching a little bit sooner, but he’s really turned himself into a first ballot hall-of-famer. He’s been absolutely incredible.”

Riders O-lineman says playing in Winnipeg helped make him a better man

Peeking out of Jermarcus Hardrick’s Saskatchewan Roughriders Grey Cup hoodie on Wednesday was a tattoo that you wouldn’t expect to see on someone in green and white.

Roughriders early Grey Cup favourites, but Alouettes don’t see themselves as underdogs

The 112th Grey Cup matchup has officially been set.

After 21 regular-season weeks, followed by two more in the playoffs, the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes are the final two teams standing.

Both arrive in Winnipeg for Grey Cup week having survived a serious scare.

The Riders needed some late-game heroics, with veteran quarterback Trevor Harris leading the offence down the field for a game-winning touchdown to seal a 24-21 win over the B.C. Lions in the Western final.

The story behind the photo: Winnipeg Blue Bombers alumnus Stan Mikawos

In this installment of the Story Behind the Photo series, Free Press sports reporter Joshua Frey-Sam takes Winnipeg Blue Bombers alumnus Stan Mikawos down memory lane, with the Bombers legend explaining the story behind three photos from his career.

The story behind the photo: Winnipeg Blue Bombers alumnus Brandon Alexander

In this installment of the Story Behind the Photo series, Free Press sports reporter Joshua Frey-Sam takes Winnipeg Blue Bombers alumnus Brandon Alexander down memory lane, with the Bombers legend explaining the story behind three photos from his career.

The story behind the photo: Winnipeg Blue Bombers alumnus Joe Poplawski

In this installment of The Story Behind the Photo, Free Press sports reporter Joshua Frey-Sam takes Winnipeg Blue Bombers alumnus Joe Poplawski down memory lane, with the Bombers legend explaining the story behind three photos from his career.