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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be without their starting quarterback for the first game of the 2025 season.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian Football League (CFL) announced that Zach Collaros has been suspended one game for failure to respond to Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) officials for an off-season drug test.
While several attempts were made to contact Collaros, there was ultimately no response within 24 hours.
Blue Bombers President and CEO, Wade Miller states it was a missed step. "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."
Collaros has never tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug under the joint CFL/CFLPA Drug Policy.
Suspended players can not participate in any regular season or postseason games; however, the team decides whether they can participate in other team activities, such as training camp, preseason games, practices, or meetings.
“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," Miller said in the statement.
"Zach remains an incredibly valued leader on and off the field, and we look forward to having him back under centre on June 21.”
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers kick off the regular season on Thursday, June 12, against the B.C. Lions at Princess Auto Stadium.