The Canadian Football League suspended Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros on Wednesday due to missing a drug test with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES). The league issued a statement.
“CCES personnel attempted to contact Mr. Collaros twice by phone, once by text and once by email over a two-hour period. He failed to respond within 24 hours. In consideration of extenuating circumstances, the CFL has reviewed the situation and has suspended him for one game. Mr. Collaros has never tested positive for a Performance Enhancing Drug under the joint CFL/CFLPA Drug Policy.
Moving forward, the CFL and the CFLPA have agreed to enhance contact protocols for off-season testing of players. Under the policy, suspended players cannot participate in regular season or post-season games. It is at the Club’s discretion whether to allow players to participate in other team activities, such as training camp, preseason games, practices or meetings.
The joint policy mandates a total number of league-wide tests equal to the total number of players in the CFL. Testing is ongoing and is conducted year-round.”
Winnipeg Blue Bombers President and CEO, Wade Miller, issued a statement on the suspension of Collaros.
“Zach Collaros is one of the most respected leaders in our locker room and across the CFL. He’s a professional in every sense—committed, accountable, and a true example of what it means to be a Blue Bomber. There was no intent for wrongdoing by Zach—just a missed step in the process. Both the CFL and CFLPA have since clarified and improved their communication protocols to help ensure this doesn’t happen to other players in the CFL.
Zach will miss our first regular season game but will continue to fully participate in training camp and preseason games. As an organization, we’re also reviewing and strengthening how we support players in navigating off-season requirements. Zach remains an incredibly valued leader on and off the field, and we look forward to having him back under center on June 21.”
Zach Collaros is six foot and weighs 220 pounds. The 36-year-old from Steubenville, Ohio, completed 342 of 488 passes (70.1%) for 4,336 yards, 17 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and 23 carries for 168 yards in 18 games leading Winnipeg to appear in the 111th Grey Cup against the Toronto Argonauts.
In 2023, he completed 301 of 431 completions for 4,115 yards, 35 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and six carries for 49 yards in 17 games this year.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers acquired Collaros on October 9, 2019, from the Toronto Argonauts for a 2020 first-round pick, which Toronto drafted offensive lineman Theren Churchill.
Collaros signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2012. The Buccaneers released him at the end of training camp. Next, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts on June 6, 2012. He played two seasons in Toronto completing 197 of 298 (66.1%) for 2,417 yards, 17 touchdowns, six interceptions, 62 carries for 263 yards, and five touchdowns in 22 games. Toronto released him on January 29, 2014.
Next, Collaros signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on January 30, 2014. He played four seasons in Hamilton with 930 of 1,396 completions for 11,342 yards, 66 touchdowns, 32 interceptions, 100 carries for 583 yards, and three touchdowns in 53 games. However, Collaros tore his ACL late in the 2015 season and eventually lost the starting job to Jeremiah Masoli.
On January 3, 2018, Collaros was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders for a 2018 second-round pick, which Hamilton traded the pick to Edmonton. Collaros played two seasons in Saskatchewan, completing 234 of 382 passes for 2,999 yards, nine touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and 25 carries for 110 yards in 15 games. Collaros suffered two concussions during his time in Saskatchewan.
On July 31, 2019, the Saskatchewan Roughriders traded Collaros to the Toronto Argonauts for a 2020 fourth-round pick, which Saskatchewan took wide receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker from Guelph. Collaros never played a game for Toronto and was traded to Winnipeg on October 9, 2019.
Collaros is entering his fifth season in Winnipeg. In four seasons, he has completed 1,181 of 1,692 passes (69.8%) for 15,956 yards, 107 touchdowns, 49 interceptions, and 53 carries for 357 yards, and two rushing touchdowns in 69 games.
Collaros has helped Winnipeg win two of four Grey Cup championships. He was named Grey Cup MVP in 2021, a two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player, two-time Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy winner, two-time CFL All-Star, and a three-time CFL West All-Star.
Collegiately, Collaros played four seasons at Cincinnati (2008-11) completing 485 of 783 (62%) for 6,278 yards, 51 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, 266 carries for 798 yards, 16 touchdowns, punting the ball one time for 35 yards, and three tackles (3 solos) in 41 games for the Bearcats. He was named First Team All-Big East in 2010 and Second Team All-Big East in 2011.
