With the Banjo Bowl just three days away, quarterback Zach Collaros was certainly a sight to behold for Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans.
Collaros returned to the practice field with the rest of his teammates on Wednesday, just three days after being knocked out of the game in the first half of the Labor Day Classic against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Collaros was removed from the game late in the second quarter after taking a blow to the head from Riders defensive lineman Miles Brown, but the move was purely precautionary given his long history of head injuries.
The Bombers have reported him with a neck injury and he was a full participant during the first set of fouls in practice, so this shouldn’t stop him from playing in the rematch with the Riders on Saturday. The Bombers starting quarterback is trying to move past the hit and focus on this week’s game without playing the blame game.
“It is what it is,” Collaros told reporters after practice. “It happened. It’s a thing of the past now.
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“It was clear that I had to get out of the game. With my history of head injuries, as you know, it’s well documented, and the neck problems I’ve had, we tend to be cautious. So the doctor felt comfortable doing that at that point. And I wasn’t really in a position to fight him. He’s the doctor, right?”
This was the third Labor Day game in which Collaros made a cheap shot; Some are calling for stricter penalties for hits to the head. But Collaros isn’t sure if higher fines or suspensions are the right answer.
“There are clearly answers,” he said. “I don’t want to sit here advocating for people who are losing money. That is up to the league and our association. Our union is normally in a tough spot because they have to protect everyone, including their wallets, so we’ll see.”
Collaros wasn’t the only player returning from injury for the Bombers, as changes are afoot for their offensive line after playing without two of their veterans last week. Patrick Neufeld was a full participant in training after missing the past four games due to a knee injury. Stanley Bryant was limited in practice after being sick last week after having to be stretchered off the field the week before.
There is a chance that both will return on Saturday.
“Veteran guys,” head coach Mike O’Shea said, “they understand what the atmosphere is going to be like and nothing is too big for them. But I thought our O-line did, they still want to play better, but they did enough.”
Linebacker Adam Bighill (knee) and receiver Lucky Whitehead (ankle) both missed Wednesday’s practice after injuries against the Riders.
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