Blue Bombers add quarterback

[bunker]

Tell us more!  I'm a bit shocked, as it doesn't make sense at this juncture.  The roster is pretty set.  There are no more FAs.  WPG has zero options at QB.

Even if all of a sudden Zach decides to be the nicest guy in the world to help the team, I'm not sure it can help the team NOW.  3 months ago, sure.  But now it's too late?  Unless KW went over budget and asked Zach to bail him out.

Of course... that's assuming we got Zach to go LOWER.  Maybe Zach made them restructure HIGHER!      

This is all I've got:

"Bombers QB Zach Collaros has re-structured his contract, per the CFL transaction wire.

This is usually a cap move to convert money to guaranteed money and aid both the player and team.

Last May Collaros signed an extension through the 2026 season."

So I'm assuming salary got converted to bonus money, which is taxed less, allowing bombers to decrease the cap hit while Zach takes home the same money. Downside is if he's injured, and 6 gamed, we get less of a break on the cap. I believe Harris did the same for riders last year.

[gobombersgo]

Zach Collaros restructures 2026 CFL contract with Winnipeg Blue Bombers
By Justin Dunk -March 6, 2026

Veteran quarterback Zach Collaros has agreed to a restructured contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, which saves the team $50,000 in salary cap space for the 2026 season, per sources.

Collaros received two separate $100,000 offseason bonuses as scheduled on January 1 and January 15. Under his old deal, he would have earned an additional $400,000 in base salary, bringing his total earnings to an even $600,000.

However, Collaros' new contract will now pay him $300,000 in base salary. That came with a $50,000 signing bonus, maxing out at $550,000 in hard money. The 13-year veteran remains the CFL's third-highest-paid QB behind Nathan Rourke at $684,000 and Chad Kelly at $625,000 for the upcoming campaign.

https://3downnation.com/2026/03/06/zach-collaros-restructures-2026-cfl-contract-with-winnipeg-blue-bombers/

[Blue In BC]

Tell us more!  I'm a bit shocked, as it doesn't make sense at this juncture.  The roster is pretty set.  There are no more FAs.  WPG has zero options at QB.

Even if all of a sudden Zach decides to be the nicest guy in the world to help the team, I'm not sure it can help the team NOW.  3 months ago, sure.  But now it's too late?  Unless KW went over budget and asked Zach to bail him out.

Of course... that's assuming we got Zach to go LOWER.  Maybe Zach made them restructure HIGHER!      

I suppose that's a good idea but that means $250K in total in early money which goes against the SMS even if there is a long term injury etc.

There was no mention of marketing money which would help but perhaps that's part of the earlier and current deal.

I don't think this was done specifically to create more SMS room in free agency. Not many players left to consider at this point.

[bunker]

I suppose that's a good idea but that means $250K in total in early money which goes against the SMS even if there is a long term injury etc.

There was no mention of marketing money which would help but perhaps that's part of the earlier and current deal.

I don't think this was done specifically to create more SMS room in free agency. Not many players left to consider at this point.

More likely it was done to accommodate the salaries of people already signed.

[theaardvark]

Maybe that $50k was made up in part by marketing money.

$50k extra cap is great, $50k extra injury exposure not so much.

Maybe Collaro's off season training has given Walters encouragement as to him staying on the field more this year.

When you lose a player and have to eat cap, the big concern is how much his replacement is making.  And his replacement's replacement.  If our backup QB's don't have big game start incentives, especially the one that lands the #2 spot, then losing Collaro's bonuses in the IR is easier to swallow.

[gobombersgo]

Maybe that $50k was made up in part by marketing money.

$50k extra cap is great, $50k extra injury exposure not so much.

Maybe Collaro's off season training has given Walters encouragement as to him staying on the field more this year.

When you lose a player and have to eat cap, the big concern is how much his replacement is making.  And his replacement's replacement.  If our backup QB's don't have big game start incentives, especially the one that lands the #2 spot, then losing Collaro's bonuses in the IR is easier to swallow.

Not likely.

3Down Nation normally mentions when marketing money is being paid out.

[Blue In BC]

Not likely.

3Down Nation normally mentions when marketing money is being paid out.

A players contract and the hit to the SMS for 2026 are all a little vague. Collaros may have already had marketing money tabbed in the original deal. He may have had ( probably did ) have early money applied to 2025 SMS ( $100K ).

It's too bad we don't see more transparency on salaries. It would be interesting.

[TBURGESS]

A players contract and the hit to the SMS for 2026 are all a little vague. Collaros may have already had marketing money tabbed in the original deal. He may have had ( probably did ) have early money applied to 2025 SMS ( $100K ).

It's too bad we don't see more transparency on salaries. It would be interesting.

Being as he had 2 January bonuses, I doubt he had any of his salary in the 2025 SMS. 

[Tecno]

I'm surprised there isn't more kudos for Zach by us fans.  This is amazing news that Zach did something (doesn't matter what) to save us $50k SMS.  We see so many other QBs (and other players) doing that, and yet Zach basically stands pat.

So major kudos to Zach for helping us out!  Top paid QBs who aren't producing like the top young stars, and get injured more often, need to "take one for the team" more often.  Thanks Zach!

P.S.#1 Don't care if it still amounts to the same $ in Zach's pocket (due to bonus status, or MMM, or whatever), all that matters is he agrees to help out the SMS.

P.S.#2 I don't worry about the potential 6GIR impact, because Zach has never been on the 6G for us (right?).  He gets knocked out sometimes (pun intended), but it's usually only for 1-3 games.  I would predict that he continues along that trend... or gets hurt even less because now we'll give him a better OL.

[Tecno]

I don't think this was done specifically to create more SMS room in free agency. Not many players left to consider at this point.

Well there has to be some reason, and I'd think it's to help 2026.  Doesn't make much sense to screw around with this for '27 reasons (by making more space for Dec '26 early re-signs).

The other option, besides yet another FA pick, would be KW is already over, and this will help get us back in line.  I wouldn't bet against this being reality.  We were the drunkest of sailors this FA.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Well there has to be some reason, and I'd think it's to help 2026.  Doesn't make much sense to screw around with this for '27 reasons (by making more space for Dec '26 early re-signs).

The other option, besides yet another FA pick, would be KW is already over, and this will help get us back in line.  I wouldn't bet against this being reality.  We were the drunkest of sailors this FA.

Any savings are useful, could go towards 1 game IR management of valuable prospects or towards re-upping contracts at the end of the season.  As for praising Zach for cooperating, he hasn't taken a salary cut like other older QB's in his pier group, so it's no skin off his nose, he's still the 2nd highest paid QB in the league with arguably the 5th or 6th best performance.

[Blue In BC]

Being as he had 2 January bonuses, I doubt he had any of his salary in the 2025 SMS.

Scheduled for Jan 2 doesn't mean they didn't pay it Dec 31.

[TBURGESS]

Scheduled for Jan 2 doesn't mean they didn't pay it Dec 31.

You're reaching. Jan 2 most likely means exactly that. 

[Blue In BC]

You're reaching. Jan 2 most likely means exactly that.

Not reaching at all. Jan 2 would be the latest and possible date of the payment. OTOH, if SMS money was available there would be nothing to prevent a Dec 31 payment.

From a business point of view, why wouldn't the Bombers do that to take the advantage. Whether a given player would want money shifted to 2025 instead of 2026 may be a tax issue where they might decline. Hard to say with certainty.

Bombers already had re-signed some top players with signing money involved so they may have spent the remainder already.


I think you just like to be argumentative. I guess you've never paid a personal or business bill a few days early?

[Jesse]

Scheduled for Jan 2 doesn't mean they didn't pay it Dec 31.

I'm betting that's exactly what it means.

When it comes to Zach's contract, it doesn't matter weather he freed up 50k now or before FA started because none of this money has been paid out yet. We don't have to be cap compliant until December 31st.