MONTREAL – The cat is out of the bag. Veteran quarterback Zach Collaros is active for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Saturday’s East Division final.

The Blue Bombers made the announcement on social media less than an hour before kickoff.

Collaros sat atop Winnipeg’s quarterback depth chart in Friday’s roster release, but he remained a game-time decision after suffering a rib injury late in the season. Dru Brown started in his place for Winnipeg’s East semifinal win over Toronto last weekend.

The veteran pivot was initially supposed to ride solo as Winnipeg’s “starting quarterback” at a pre-game press conference, but Brown ultimately joined him on the podium.

Collaros was injured in Winnipeg’s 34-10 win over the B.C. Lions on Oct. 23 and has barely practised since.

The 38-year-old American was limited during a closed practice Wednesday before sitting out Thursday’s session for what he described as a “maintenance kind of thing.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2026.