Dru Brown is getting ready to take the next step in his career as he’s set to hit free agency where he’ll presumably get the chance to join another CFL team as a starter. He got a ringing endorsement from a longtime Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ teammate on Tuesday, who views his potential as being sky-high.
“Under the right leadership and coaching and play calling and all those things, I think he can be one of the best if not the best guy in the league. I truly feel that way about Dru,” said veteran quarterback Zach Collaros.
“I just love his makeup. The person that he is, he loves football, he’s a good guy. He’s a great husband, I’m sure he’s going to be a great father one day. He’s been really special to me in our room. I don’t wanna belittle him when I call him like a little brother but I am quite a bit older than him.”
Brown signed with the Blue Bombers in 2020 after a nomadic collegiate career that included stints at the College of San Mateo, the University of Hawai’i, and Oklahoma State University. He didn’t receive any Division I scholarship offers out of high school in California and continued to be an underdog well into his college years as he battled Spencer Sanders and Taylor Cornelius (yes, that Taylor Cornelius) for playing time with the Cowboys.
The 26-year-old attempted only 14 passes in his rookie season as the third-stringer behind Collaros and Sean McGuire. He took over the primary backup role in 2022 and made his first career start late in the season, throwing for 325 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 40-32 loss to the B.C. Lions.
Brown won both of his starts in 2023 and finished the year completing 69.7 percent of his passes for 983 yards, nine touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He set a new single-season CFL record for the most touchdown passes without registering a single pick.
“I was able to teach Dru when he first got up here some things about the Canadian Football League, how defences are structured and how offences usually are played and things of that nature. I learned a lot from Dakota (Prukop) as well, he’s been around different places in the league. I’ve been able to teach him some things, but I truly look at those guys like peers even though I’m the starter and I’ve been in the league a little bit longer. I just respect their knowledge of football so much,” said Collaros.
“I’ve never really been in a quarterback room like the one that we’re in here with Dakota and Dru. I think we’re truly lifelong friends outside of this and I’ve been very fortunate to be around both those men. I think Dru can do really, really great things in this league.”
Brown credited his coaches and teammates for helping him improve during his three seasons in Winnipeg, though he also made it clear he wants to be a starter. However, his main focus right now is getting home to help his mother after his father passed away suddenly this past summer.
“I’ve got some stuff that I need to kind of wrap up family-wise, so that’s kind of what’s on the forefront of my mind right now. And when that time comes, I’ll deal with that. I’m not gonna pretend to know the business side of [CFL free agency] because this is my first time going through this. If I’m being honest, I just haven’t necessarily given that too much thought,” said Brown.
“I want to be a starter. I like to compete, I like to play. I’m not gonna sit here and say that I like watching, although I think it’s what I needed as a young player. But the desire to be a starter is obviously there.”
Collaros made it clear he’s willing to do anything to help Brown, including offering advice on where to sign. Though he’s told some of Winnipeg’s other pending free agents that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere in the league, that’s not necessarily the case for Brown. While other players might have the chance to earn an extra $25,000 or $50,000 to join other teams, Brown’s pay is expected to grow by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Winnipeg won’t be able to afford to keep him, while the B.C. Lions, Toronto Argonauts, and Montreal Alouettes don’t particularly need him. Other than that, it seems reasonable to think that any other team in the CFL could sign him.
The Ottawa Redblacks have been in quarterback hell for a half-decade. Bo Levi Mitchell was a bust in Hamilton, while Trevor Harris is coming off a serious injury in Saskatchewan. Edmonton needs all the help it can get coming off another four-win season and the shine has come off Jake Maier in Calgary.
Regardless of where Brown ends up, that team will be getting a young quarterback with a tremendous amount of potential. Just ask Zach Collaros.
