As the 2026 season approaches, CFL.ca has a new series making the case for every team as a contender to win the 113th Grey Cup, highlighting three reasons why each club has a path to the championship. The series is not intended to make predictions, but to showcase the strengths and potential routes for each team entering the new campaign.
WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be eager to get back on the field in 2026 after missing the Grey Cup last season for the first time since 2018.
With their core still intact and an impactful group of free agent additions, Mike O’Shea’s squad has its sights set on a return to the CFL’s biggest stage.
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1. WIN-NOW ROSTER
The Bombers’ 2025 season was far from perfect: they went from first to fourth in the West Division from 2024 to 2025, fielded the league’s lowest-ranked passing attack (235 yards per game) and dealt with injuries across the roster, yet still finished just one win shy of their 2024 total and extended their playoff streak to nine straight seasons.
That consistency starts with the veteran leadership.
Winnipeg is set to start the year with 11 starters over the age of 30, including key contributors in Zach Collaros, Stanley Bryant, and Willie Jefferson, who are all over 35. Between those 11 veterans, they have 13 Grey Cup rings.
“Our experience,” offered Collaros when asked why Winnipeg should still be viewed as a Grey Cup favourite.
“Just look at our core group of veterans,” added running back Brady Oliveira during the CFL’s off-season content capture in April.
That core isn’t getting younger. The urgency that comes with it, paired with a group that knows how to win, makes Winnipeg as dangerous as any team in the league heading into 2026.
2. RELOADING ON OFFENCE
The Bombers’ biggest room for improvement heading into 2026 was their passing game, and they wasted no time addressing it in the off-season.
The change starts on the sidelines, where Tommy Condell takes over as offensive coordinator. It’s a familiar pairing with Collaros, dating back to their time together in Hamilton, when their 2015 offence led the CFL in scoring (29.4 points per game).
Winnipeg is betting that familiarity can bring structure to a unit that finished last in the league in passing yards and threw a CFL-high 27 interceptions last season.
“With the new addition of the offensive coordinator, I think it’s a very exciting time to be a Bomber fan,” said Oliveira.
Winnipeg added at receiver with Tim White, a four-time 1,000-yard target with experience in Condell’s system from their time in Hamilton, and Tommy Nield, who showed promise during Saskatchewan’s Grey Cup run, which included a game-winning touchdown in the Western Final against BC.
The biggest move, however, comes up front with the signing of offensive lineman Jarell Broxton. An All-CFL selection in 2025, Broxton joins a line anchored by Bryant, giving Winnipeg one of the league’s most formidable tackle pairings and a much cleaner pocket for Collaros.
“It’s huge,” said Collaros. “He’s one of the best tackles in our league.”
Already boasting a top rushing attack built behind Oliveira, if the passing game can just stabilize with those additions, the Bombers’ offence could look significantly different in 2026.
3. DEFENSIVE UPSIDE
Ceresna and the Elks defence with a big stop on 2nd down! 😤#CFLGameDay
🗓️: Argonauts vs. @GoElks LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/HMOWqloTkh— CFL (@CFL) August 16, 2025
The Bombers’ clearest advantage still sits on the defensive side of the ball. In 2025, it remained one of the league’s most consistent units and finished top three in points allowed (23.6 per game) and yards allowed (344.3 per game).
Their ceiling is higher. They were bottom of the league in sacks (23) and interceptions (13) and responded by being just as aggressive adding on defence as they were on offence.
“We were so proactive in free agency,” said Oliveira. “Now is the time to get back to the top, and I think we have all the right pieces to get there.”
Jefferson continues to anchor the pass rush and now pairs with Jake Ceresna, a two-time All-CFL defensive lineman with 46 career sacks, looking to rebound after a quieter season in Edmonton.
The Bombers also added linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox following a standout year in Ottawa, while reinforcing a secondary led by Evan Holm and Deatrick Nichols with the addition of Jonathan Moxey.
If those additions help turn pressures into sacks and pass knockdowns into interceptions, this defence has the tools to swing games on its own.
