Fans and media alike will make the numbers on Brady Oliveira’s new contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a hot-take conversation topic for next three seasons and beyond.
So, if we’re going to play that game, here are some key facts all rolled into a couple of sentences:
Oliveira is still just 28, has won three Canadian Football League major honours with two Most Outstanding Canadian and one Most Outstanding Player awards and has posted four consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns and won two rushing titles as a key figure in one of the most dominant eras in the long and storied history of the franchise.
He’s already sixth in Blue Bombers history in rushing yards, behind legends like Charles Roberts, Leo Lewis, Willard Reaves, Jim Washington and Gerry James — every one of them in the Winnipeg Football Club’s Hall of Fame with three of them, Roberts, Lewis and James, on the prestigious Ring of Honour.
He’s a Winnipegger, a marketable face of the franchise whose passion away from football is rescuing dogs.
And so this, hot take from the organization’s perspective in three simple words about the three-year deal which will reportedly see him get a $60,000 raise from last year into the $300,000 range:
Worth. Every. Penny.
Oliveira’s signing was made official on Monday, and he met with the media today. The entirety of that press conference can be seen here:
And here are the main takeaways from this perch…
WHY NOW? WHY NOT?
Oliveira said last month in his season-ending media availability that he owed it to himself to see what might be out there on the open market. But with the club stepping up to make his re-signing a priority, the deal was informally completed over the weekend before he signed on Monday.
“It was important to me to stay put here, not just to me but to my family, friends. I really wanted to stay put here,” Oliveira said. “My heart will always be in Winnipeg. So, I’m really happy to get this deal done, especially this early.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting to get a deal done as quickly as we did. I thought it was going to go into the new year and obviously I’m a lot happier with the way it played out. Getting this deal done before Christmas is like an early Christmas gift for myself and my family. I’m extremely happy about that.”
Oliveira, in fact, said the negotiations were ‘seamless.’ Worth noting: he signed both of his last two contracts in early February of 2022 and 2024.
“Winnipeg showed a lot of respect right off the jump with this and made it very easy to make this thing work. I love this city. I love Winnipeg,” he said. “I love this organization and for me to be here for another three years playing for my hometown… I’ve said it before: it’s like a dream come true.”
HATERS GOING TO HATE
Oliveira was already the CFL’s highest-paid running back, but his raise comes at a time following a jump in the salary cap last year — not green-lighted by the league until after a lot of the spending in free agency was done — and with the Blue Bombers also having finished a season in which they sold out every game.
Just for comparison, the B.C. Lions recently signed veteran American receiver Keon Hatcher to a contract reportedly worth slightly more than Oliveira.
Asked about the doubters who are suggesting the Blue Bombers are paying him too much money, Oliveira answered with:
“You need to stop paying players based off position but pay players based off production. You look at my game log or track record, you go back and look at the numbers, and I’ve shown to be consistent and productive week in and week out here year after year after year. It’s time to stop paying players based on position. If the market is set at this for a position but they’re not productive, then why are you paying them that? Just because the market is set at that?
“When it comes to my production, I’ve been very fortunate to have a great offensive line in front of me, great receivers, great coaches that allow me to be successful on game day.”
WHO’S NEXT?
Oliveira met with the media roughly 30 minutes after the club announced the signing of dime back Redha Kramdi, making him the third Canadian — along with defensive tackle Cam Lawson — to re-sign in the last week.
The CFL’s free agent tracker is here:
Official 2026 Free Agent Tracker
And now Oliveira takes on the role of salesman for the club in twisting arms to get critical players to return or new faces to come on board.
“I trust this organization That’s a big part of why I signed back,” Oliveira said. “Seeing Osh (head coach Mike O’Shea) and Kyle (Walters, GM) sign back… I trust this organization. We have been very successful the last number of years and I put full trust in their hands. But I’ve had a lot of great conversations over the last number of weeks with key guys who I think are massive parts of this organization and that help us win games. Having those conversations, seeing where their heads are at and where they want to be next season — they were all very good conversations.
“Hopefully there’s a trickle effect of me signing and hopefully we get some other key pieces to sign.”
Asked specifically about receiver Nic Demski, Oliveira’s best friend on the team, he grinned and said:
“Everyone knows how close Demmer and I are. For me to sign this deal, I really want him to come back. We’ll see what he does. I’ve got him in a chokehold… ‘I’ve signed back. Demmer, you have to sign back.’ I’m putting the pressure on him to sign now. Hoping it works out for him and the organization.
“That guy is a key piece to this team, to this offence and a true leader in this locker room. Those are the guys you want as part of the organization and there’s a list of guys who are (pending) free agents that are a massive piece to this team and also great voices in the locker room that I think are crucial to winning football games.”
A LOOK BACK… AND AHEAD
One more from Oliveira on the 10-8 record posted and first-round playoff exit in 2025 and the goal for next year:
“I said this from the beginning last year: I truly did believe that we had a Grey Cup calibre team. I look across the board — the level of talent that we had, the level of leadership that we had, vets that have played a ton of football games in the CFL, for the Bombers, we just unfortunately fell short and could get it done.
“I think it came down to the details. I don’t think we were as detail oriented as years past and we have a high standard here. We’ve got to get back to that and I’m excited to get back to work. The work’s already started for next season.
“Do we need more and in what sense that looks like, I don’t know. But do we need to be better? Absolutely we’ve got to be better.
ICYMI
After Oliveira’s media session he was kind enough to join us — along with his dog Gunnar — for our final Huddle episode of 2025. That can be seen here: