It appears Chris Streveler will be available to start the first game of the regular season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers if his number is called.
The popular dual-threat passer suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and partially torn PCL during last year’s Banjo Bowl, which ended his season. His goal was to be healthy for the start of training camp this year and it appears he successfully achieved that after ruthlessly attacking rehabilitation from his offseason home in Arizona.
“When this happened, I said, ‘I want to be ready by training camp next year,’ so I’m just so happy to be here. It just gives me a new appreciation for being able to play this game,” Streveler told the media on Thursday. “I do believe that the mindset is a big reason why you can recover better and if you have a positive mindset and you work your butt off, you can (make a full recovery).”
Franchise quarterback Zach Collaros has been suspended for the first game of the regular season after failing to respond to correspondence from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) within a 24-hour window during the offseason. As such, the starting job for Winnipeg’s home-opener on June 12 against the B.C. Lions is up for grabs.
The Blue Bombers beefed up their depth at the quarterback position for 2025, signing Shea Patterson away from the Saskatchewan Roughriders, though Streveler is the incumbent backup. He only started one game last year but won it, throwing for 127 yards and rushing 13 times for 79 yards and a touchdown in a 25-16 win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
Head coach Mike O’Shea, a longtime champion of Streveler’s, doesn’t seem surprised that the hard-nosed passer made a full recovery on a relatively short timeline.
“He’s ready,” said O’Shea. “Of course he’s ready.”
The same can’t be said for star receiver Dalton Schoen or defensive tackle Cameron Lawson, both of whom suffered torn ACLs last year. The two have been placed on the injured veteran list for the start of training camp, though they can be moved to the active roster at any time. Schoen tore his ACL during Week 3 of last season, while Lawson suffered the injury during the preseason.
“(Recovery) is a frustrating process and it’s not for the faint of heart, especially when you’re 30 years old,” said Streveler. “I’m just thankful for the people that helped me along. I’m thankful for the support that I have and thankful to be playing football.”
It remains to be seen who will start Winnipeg’s first game in place of Collaros as O’Shea is known for keeping his cards close to his chest. He also tends to favour playing veterans, however, which should give Streveler and Patterson a leg up on Terry Wilson and Chase Artopoeus, the two young quarterbacks on the roster.
Regardless of who gets the nod, it doesn’t appear as though Streveler’s knee injury from 2024 will be factor in the decision.
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