COLLAROS: “IT WAS A PRETTY EASY PROCESS”

WINNIPEG – It’s fitting Zach Collaros signed a new contract with the Blue Bombers while celebrating a belated Christmas with family in his hometown.

The team’s star quarterback gave fans a gift by inking a one-year deal Thursday. He also received a contract widely reported to be worth $550,000.

“We did Christmas (Thursday) at my parents’ house for my niece, who’s 10 years old, and obviously for our two daughters, so my sister and her husband came over,” Collaros said Friday in a call with media from Steubenville, Ohio.

“We were already planning on having a dinner so that’s kind of how we celebrated.”

Last season’s CFL most outstanding player and Grey Cup most valuable player was asked if aiming to be the league’s highest-paid player was part of negotiations.

“There wasn’t talk of putting it into those terms,” Collaros said. “I can’t exactly tell you, but I don’t think we’re far off from what it was before the pandemic started.

“There wasn’t a ton of back and forth. There was never any true contention, I don’t think ? I thought it was a pretty easy process.”

The six-foot, 222-pound Collaros will return for a third season with Winnipeg and 10th in the CFL. He led the league last season in touchdown passes (20) and quarterback efficiency (111.0 rating) and finished second in passing yards (3,185).

The 33-year-old Collaros is the first Bombers quarterback to guide the club to consecutive Grey Cup championships since Ken Ploen in 1961-62.

He could have become a free agent on Feb. 8, but said he didn’t think much about testing the market.

“Not really,” Collaros said. “I’m sure (Bombers general manager) Kyle (Walters) and everybody in the organization knew I wanted to be back.

“I love the group of people that are there – the support group, the coaches from the top down and obviously the guys in the locker room.”

(Canadian Press)