Need to Know | Week 17 vs Toronto
Willie Jefferson and the rest of the Blue Bombers returned to work on Monday; photos by Cameron Bartlett
It made for quite the sight to see a man of Willie Jefferson's stature -- he's some 6-foot-7 with a wingspan long enough to reach the top-shelf items in any department store -- flapping his arms like a giant condor, all the while sporting a feather at the front of his helmet and a size-large grin on his face.
Yes, there was Jefferson and many of his Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive teammates as the club returned to practice Monday at Fort Garry Lions Field following the final bye week of the regular season all doing the same thing -- feathers in helmets, flapping arms after a standout defensive play -- and jokingly referring to themselves as the 'Blue Birds.'
And that scene might have best captured the team's mood and vibe as it now heads into the stretch run, from Jefferson & Co. doing their thing on defence to the session ending with a Dru Brown-to-Tommy Nield TD strike that had veteran guard Pat Neufeld thrusting his arms in the air and shouting, 'Bombers win!'
The Blue Bombers, 7-6 after their 19-6 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Banjo Bowl prior to the bye week, remain very much in the fight for playoff spots -- tied with the B.C. Lions for third, two points back of the second-place Riders, six back of the 10-4 Edmonton Elks and looking over their shoulder at the Calgary Stampeders at 6-8.
Asked if the divisional race and what's ahead had him delivering a message to the players coming off the bye, head coach Mike O'Shea grinned.
"Yeah, don't do what you're doing," he added with a chuckle. "Don't look at the standings. There has to be some big-picture thought with a couple of us but, for the most part, everybody is insulated from that. They don't have to do that, and I certainly don't want them to do that.
" I just want them to understand that as we talked about a month or more ago -- just keep your head down, keep grinding and we'll end up where we end up.
"There's still a ton of possibilities. Really, as cliche as it is, they just have to stay focussed on what they're doing right now."
The most noteworthy development as the club returned to practice was seeing QB1 Zach Collaros in attendance but not participating -- although he did throw extensively.
Also not practising on the first day back, for what it's worth, were running back Brady Oliveira, offensive tackle Stanley Bryant, defensive tackle Cam Lawson along with receivers Nic Demski and Pokey Wilson.
“This is par for the course. It's pro football, there’s guys sitting out all the time," said O'Shea. "Sometimes guys can’t practice, and I don’t know if that has a bearing on whether they play or not -- especially with the vets.”
Asked what has him hopeful Collaros could play on Friday at home against the Toronto Argonauts, O'Shea shrugged before adding:
"He's Zach. And we've had games where he hasn't played and that's why we have teammates. But it's like that with every position. There's guys who are ready to step up and honour their teammates and if Zach can't go there's guys that'll step up and honour his work. And if he can go, he's Zach."
Collaros exited the Banjo Bowl win in third quarter and with the Blue Bombers leading 13-3 after chasing after Roughriders defender Seyi Oladipo, Jr following an interception and did not return.
He was replaced by Brown, who effectively came out of the bullpen and helped close out a defensive-dominated victory by completing four-of-five passes for 46 yards.
Brown, who is 2-2 in his four starts for the Blue Bombers this season after being brought back to Winnipeg in a trade with the Ottawa RedBlacks in June, admitted following Monday's practice he's now far more cozy in the offence than he was when thrust into action in his first start against the Argos back in July.
"Any time you spend more time with something you're more comfortable. And also, it's just continuing to learn the guys," he said. "We've had a couple weeks or however long it's been where I've gotten to observe and see what guys do well and how to throw at certain guys.
"I just try to go out there and do what's asked of me and that's something I've been doing for a long time. I don't necessarily look at the situation itself. In that role that's my job -- to be ready if anything were to happen. So, when I'm in that role I take pride in it."
More Blue Bombers news and notes in this week's NEED TO KNOW...
NEW-OLD BLUE BLOOD: The Blue Bombers made three additions to their practice roster -- two new faces in American receiver Matt Henry and Global offensive lineman Nouredin Nouili and Global defensive end Thiadric Hansen -- a member of the club's Grey Cup championship teams in 2019 and 2021 and as a member of the Argos championship squad in 2024.
Hansen (6-1, 235, Cologne Centurions) was released by the Argos in May and was most recently with the Frankfurt Galaxy in the European Football Alliance.
"I was just on my way on a facation when I got the call (from the Blue Bombers) and cancelled everything to come here and play another season with the CFL," Hansen, who now lives in India where his girlfriend works, said Monday.
"It was very unexpected. I thought my CFL career was done and then I got the call from my agent and I said, 'C'mon, let's do it. It doesn't matter if I've got to make my way up again to the team.' Hopefully I'm going to play soon and just enjoy being out there again.
"... It's great to be back. It was a very warm welcome and everyone is happy."
"He knows what he's doing. He knows what we're all about," added O'Shea. "He's a tough man. He's played a lot of football; he's won a lot of championships. He's got Grey Cups; he's got European championships... he's a professional and he knows how to work.
"And everybody will remember that hit he made in the Grey Cup on the kickoff and he's got that in him, too."
Henry (6-1, 180, Western Kentucky; born November 7, 2002, in Miami, FL.) joins the Blue Bombers following a five-year collegiate career with Livingstone College (2021-23), Western Illinois (2024) and Western Kentucky (2025).
Nouili (6-3, 321, Nebraska; born October 31, 2000, in Frankfurt, Germany) spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons on the Montreal Alouettes’ practice roster and completing a four-year collegiate career at Colorado State (2019) and Nebraska (2020-21, 2023). He signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2024 before being selected by Montreal in the second round of '24 CFL Global Draft. He also spent time with Ottawa this season.