“My heart will always be in Winnipeg,” how many times have we heard that before and a player moves on? While not using those exact words, I have to look no further back than Andrew Harris to have heard the same sentiment. But then, when he thought he was not given a good deal by the Bombers, he moved on to play for Toronto, and now coaches with Saskatchewan…of all places. And I can tell you for certain, that when Saskatchewan played Winnipeg this year, Harris was all about Saskatchewan. So, while I believe that Brady believes what he is saying, the truth in football is that careers are short, and you go (or stay) where you think it makes the most amount of sense for you.

I started with the headline, “Oliveira Returns & That Signals Changes.” It must be weird to read that Oliveira re-signs with the Bombers, and that I think that signals change…but here is why.

1. No Hometown Discount
In the past years Brady agreed to take a hometown discount, and the Bombers were happy to do so in order that they had more money to use for other players. Not this time! In 2025, Oliveira was already the highest paid running back in the CFL making $240,000. But now in 2026 he will make $290,000. And in 2027 and 2028, he will make $300,000. And remember, Winnipeg is one of the cheaper markets to live in, so your dollar goes further.

This is interesting on two accounts. Frist, in early 2025, Walters made comments about not paying guys too much money and then filling in the holes…well we all saw how that worked out with Lawler walking away, and a bust in the 2025 season.

“When asked about Lawler, Kyle Walters said, “(Lawler’s price) was above what we thought and above what we could do.” Walters further went on to say that Kenny is an unbelievable football player, and he praised Lawler’s commitment to the community. However, he relented that as he looked around the receiver room he was not prepared to shell out that kind of money to keep Lawler in Winnipeg.” (source) 

2. How Could Brady Stay Around After How He Was Used Improperly?
After the 2024 Grey Cup, Brady was unimpressed how he was used, and he said so publically. The Bombers previous offonsive coordinator, Buck Pierce, left at the end of that 2024 season, and the Bombers promoted their running backs coach, Jason Hogan, to offensive coordinator. If anyone should have known how to utilize Brady after the 2024 Grey Cup debacle it should have been Hogan.

So even more intriguing is how the Bombers did not use Brady properly this year. On September 9, 2025 I wrote, “Maybe it looks good that Demski is in the top 10 in both categories (rushing and receiving)…but that should actually be troubling as he is the only Bomber player in the top 10. Where are the big name receivers that the Bomber have? To find the next Bomber in receiving yards you have to go all the way to the 17th spot to find Wheatfall, and then to the 34th spot to find Oliveira!” Even with Demski in the lineup…the Bombers did not have receivers good enough to get the job done. Oliveira was 4th in rushing yards, and 14th in rushing touchdowns. And while those numbers may not look terrible, as the Bombers had Streveler to punch it in, so many time I caught myself saying, “Why did they not give the ball to Brady?!”

I wrote about it all year long; that if the Bombers would continue to not use Brady properly, expect him to walk. Then, as the picture became clearer (at the end of the season) that the Bomber’s Offensive Coordinator – Jason Hogan – had been the issue I said that if the Bombers keep Hogan, they will not keep Oliveira.

And while the Bombers have not yet replaced Hogan…the writing is on the wall. They have already started to interview other candidates for Hogan’s position.

3. 3 Year Commitments
Not only did Brady sign a 3 year deal (which again indicates very strongly to me that he has been told that Hogan is gone), but Walters and O’Shea also inked 3 year deals. That tells me that the Bombers are going to change their approach from 2025. When asked in March of 2025, Walters said that he liked the roster…but time would tell. And when asked at that time about shelling out big bucks for receivers, he had mentioned that they were not about to do that. All of that resulted in the Bombers making an early exit in a year that they hosted the grey Cup.

Concluding Thoughts
If 2025 was an experiment, it was one that clearly did not work. In some respect, I do not mind the Bombers trying something different…after all they lost a few Grey Cups in a row. But what they changed, and the approach that they took, left me scratching my head from early on. I am not suggesting that the Bombers turn the whole thing around in 2026, it might take until 2027. But what I am sure of, based on what I have seen so far is that the Bombers will approach the off-season much differently than they did last year. Finally, with Walters, O’Shea, and Oliveira back for 3 years, I am quite sure that they Bombers are making a very purposeful commitment to get back to the top of the hill! I expect to see more big name signings from the Bombers this off-season than last.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section wherever you are reading this. Catch all my articles here.