Quarterback Dru Brown returns to Winnipeg in trade with Redblacks

Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Dru Brown (3) and quarterback Jake Maier (13) participate in the team’s training camp in Ottawa on Sunday, May 10, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

By The Canadian Press

Jun 23, 2026 | 4:33 PM

WINNIPEG — Dru Brown is returning to Winnipeg after the Blue Bombers acquired the quarterback in a trade with the Ottawa Redblacks on Tuesday.

The Blue Bombers also received a second-round pick in the 2027 CFL draft and sent their first-round selection in 2027 and a conditional second-round pick in 2028 to Ottawa.

The move comes after Brown lost his starting job in Ottawa to Jake Maier before the season.

Later Tuesday, the Redblacks signed quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who won two Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts under current Ottawa coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie.