The Ottawa Redblacks and quarterback Dru Brown have agreed to a restructured contract for the 2026 season, sources have confirmed to 3DownNation.
Brown was scheduled to receive a $150,000 offseason roster bonus on January 15 under the previous terms of his agreement, which would have paid him $412,500 in 2026 with a $501,500 maximum value after incentives. The new details are not yet known.
Brown dressed for 11 regular-season games in 2025 but made nine starts while fighting through neck, hip and knee problems. He posted a 2-7 record at the helm and completed 71.5 percent of his passes for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions to rank eighth league-wide in passer rating (min. 100 attempts).
The 28-year-old was acquired by the Redblacks leading into the 2024 season and started 15 games, producing an 8-6-1 record to lead Ottawa to the postseason. He completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,959 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
The Palo Alto, Cal., native spent his first three CFL seasons as a backup for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, starting three games when Zach Collaros was out due to injury. He threw for 1,484 yards, 14 touchdowns, and two interceptions, while rushing for five majors.
New Redblacks head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie indicated after his hiring he was “comfortable” proceeding with Brown as the franchise quarterback in Ottawa, but the offseason bonus provided a deadline for when a decision had to be made. The restructured contract likely means the team is committed to him for another season, though perhaps not at the original price tag.
The Redblacks finished fourth in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Ottawa ranked sixth in net offence, fifth in net defence, and ninth with a turnover differential of minus-16.
The team’s leading rusher was William Stanback with 698 yards, the leading receiver was Justin Hardy with 1,019 yards, and the leading tackler was Adarius Pickett with 84 tackles. Ottawa finished eighth in attendance with average crowds of 18,136, which was a 4.2 percent decrease from the previous year.
