Getting the band back together

Monday was a promising day on the injury front for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Not only did everyone who played in Saturday’s pre-season contest against the Saskatchewan Roughriders escape seemingly without any major dings, but the club also welcomed back a big piece of its defensive front as Cam Lawson logged his first practice since tearing his ACL last spring.

The 26-year-old defensive tackle was a limited participant in the session. He went for close to 90 minutes, running through individual drills with a knee brace on, but did not participate in either team period.

“That was the plan, and then get him out,” said head coach Mike O’Shea.

“Certainly, he is itching to get in there and get going again. He sees his rehab partners in there running around, and he wants to be a part of it too. I think everybody was excited to have him back, we’ll just ease him back into it, though.”

The 6-3, 290-pounder was primed to be a key cog in Winnipeg’s defence last season after piecing together a strong five-sack campaign in 2023, but an unfortunate stroke of misfortune ended that dream in the first pre-season game.

Lawson’s was the second of three major knee injuries for the Bombers early in the season. Jamal Parker Jr. was the first to go down during the opening week of camp. Lawson followed a week later. Then Dalton Schoen joined them for a lengthy rehab process after going down in Week 3 of the regular season.

Parker and Schoen, who are both much lighter than Lawson, have already returned to practising in full with the team. Needless to say, they were thrilled to see their rehab partner join them.

“It brings tears to your eyes because I got hurt, Cam got hurt like a week later from me. (Four) weeks after me was Dalton, so all season it was really me, Dalton, Cam, and we all grew closer, and we all come from different environments and backgrounds, so that’s special to see,” said Parker, who on Saturday played in a game for the first time since the 2023 Grey Cup.

“Me and Dalton said today we got to get a picture with him, just because we’re all back on the field together.”

Parker had a front-row seat to the work Lawson was putting in each day. The defensive back credited Lawson and Schoen for helping him get through his rehab.

“You don’t want nobody getting hurt, but when you have somebody in the same rabbit hole with you, you’re in it together. So watching him work — me, Dalton — we all have our different ups and downs or different issues, or since we’re all on the same timeline, we’re able to know, like, ‘Dang, does your knee feel this way?’” he said.

“We’re all on the same path, but we all got our own little wrinkles to how we warm up and how we get together, our mindset, so it’s a joy to see him back out here.”

Not practising on Monday were running back Brady Oliveira and safety Cam Allen, who were both taking an extra day of rest.

One-year contract extension a “no-brainer” for Collaros

At his end-of-year press conference last season, Zach Collaros left a shadow of doubt about whether he would be back in 2025.

The Bombers’ star quarterback said being away from his family’s support system — his children’s grandparents — during the season has become increasingly difficult on him and his wife Nicole with three young kids, and he would need to consider that before committing to a 13th season.

Turns out it might have been the emotions of a third straight Grey Cup loss talking, because it didn’t take Collaros long to make up his mind about coming back.

And now the more interesting question becomes whether he could play into his 40s, as the 36-year-old signed a one-year contract extension last week that will keep him in Blue and Gold through next season.

“About a week after the Grey Cup, there was no doubt about whether we were going to come back and play. That’s usually how it goes for most people, though. You work all season long, and whether you win or you lose, it’s just a long grind,” said Collaros, who will be 37 in August.

“There’s many times in the season, even when you’re a young man, it’s, ‘Man, do I want to keep doing this?’ but, I’ll tell you what, about a week or two after not being able to do it, you’re like, ‘Damn, I miss that, and I can’t wait to do it.’ I still feel very capable.”

“It’s just a great place to be. So many great relationships here for my family and I, and it was a no-brainer when it was brought to the table a little earlier this month.”– Bombers QB Zach Collaros

The decision to extend his contract was one he reached with his family, but it really boils down to the fact that Collaros still loves the weekly grind of preparing for a football game, and his body feels like it still has plenty of mileage left in it.

“I thought it was good for both sides. Obviously, we were excited to have been wanted back in the building. It’s always good when they think highly of you,” he said. “In this game — and nothing is guaranteed, next year’s not guaranteed — to have that understanding that you’re wanted in the building, some type of future that you can work toward is, I think, something in this game that’s not always easy to get. We were excited to have a little peace of mind, I guess.”

“It’s just a great place to be. So many great relationships here for my family and I, and it was a no-brainer when it was brought to the table a little earlier this month. My wife… and my kids can’t wait to get out here.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca