Dru Brown addresses Ottawa Redblacks departure, defends arm strength

John Hodge/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

Dru Brown made his first appearance in practice with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Tuesday afternoon, giving him a chance to respond to the criticism that was aired by Ottawa Redblacks head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie after last week’s trade.

“(Dinwiddie) said that it was just an arm strength thing, that’s what he told me. That’s his opinion, and he’s entitled to that, and he makes the calls over there. I wasn’t his guy and that’s OK,” Brown told the media on Tuesday.

“(Arm strength concerns aren’t) something I’ve gotten before. That’s kind of how he saw it, but I’ve never really felt like that before, or it’s ever held me back situationally in a game, being able to cut it loose. No, I’ve never heard that.”

It doesn’t appear the Blue Bombers share Dinwiddie’s concerns regarding Brown’s arm strength.

“I think he delivers the ball on time to the right person, and when you make good decisions quickly, everything looks good,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “And on top of that, I don’t think he’s lacking arm strength.”

Dinwiddie told the media last week in Ottawa that Brown became “a little bit of a distraction” for the Redblacks after he requested his release from the team. The request was made shortly after Brown was informed that Jake Maier would be the team’s starting quarterback in 2026, a decision that was made after the team’s first preseason game.

Brown confirmed that he made the request, though he doesn’t seem to believe his behaviour was much of a distraction.

“It’s his opinion, and that’s OK. I’ve never really felt that way about myself, and I don’t think many people would say that,” said Brown. “Any confrontation that was had was in private. I probably was visually upset for a couple days, and they gave me some grace in those couple of days knowing the situation.”

Despite his criticism, Dinwiddie acknowledged that Brown did his best to support Maier in the starting role. Maier was also complimentary of Brown, and the two quarterbacks clearly share mutual respect.

“I love Jake. I actually talked to him on the phone last night. He’s a great guy, someone that I’ll be friends with for a long time, and I’m super happy for him and his family,” said Brown. “I did try to be a good teammate over there, especially to Jake, and just let him know that I’m there for him.”

“Me and my family really enjoyed our time in Ottawa. I had a lot of great teammates there, had some coaches that believed in me, and I kind of just take it as it was a lot of fun, and I gave everything I had to the organization for the time that I was there. People make decisions, and then as a player, you have to take it and kinda move on. I don’t stew over it too long. It’s just, OK, what’s next?”

As for the timing the of the trade, which cost the Blue Bombers a first-round pick in the 2027 CFL Draft, O’Shea indicated that Winnipeg wanted to strike before another club offered more in exchange for Brown. All nine starting quarterbacks are currently healthy in the CFL, though it’s only a matter of time before one gets hurt and the Redblacks would have had more leverage in negotiations.

“It was going to be us or somebody else,” he said. “The price became right for the organization to add a very intelligent, competitive veteran quarterback.”

“I think it’s important that we’ve got the right group of guys in here right now.”

It’s unclear when Brown will be available to play, though he indicated it’s a pretty seamless transition given that he worked with offensive coordinator Tommy Condell in Ottawa. O’Shea was also complimentary of Brown’s ability to learn, saying he’s a faster study than most.

The 29-year-old also indicated that he and the team have yet to discuss a possible contract extension or renegotiation. For now, he’s simply pleased to be back in Bomberland.

“My happiness for being here outweighs any hate in my heart that I have for anybody,” said Brown. “I loved my time here, and I think I created a lot of relationships with the whole operation here — teammates, management, coaches, and all that. Obviously, you never know how those things are going to play out, but I’m super happy to be here.”

The Blue Bombers (1-2) will visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-1) at Hamilton Stadium on Sunday, July 5 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off a 23-18 loss to the Edmonton Elks, while the Tiger-Cats were on bye.

The weather forecast in Hamilton calls for a high of 28 degrees and a 40 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg or Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton.

John Hodge is a longtime Canadian football reporter, insider, and podcaster for 3DownNation. Based in Winnipeg, Hodge is also a freelance television and radio broadcaster and curling reporter for Rock Channel.