This is the time of year that teams release all kinds of players, most whom the average fan has not heard of. But when a more notable name is released, then that is attention worthy.
This week the Winnipeg Blue Bombers released quarterback Shea Patterson. In 2021 and 2023, Patterson got into some games for Montreal and Saskatchewan. However, 2024 gave Patterson his first chance to start games. His record? 2-4-1. He amassed 1,655 yards – an average of 236 yards/game. But he only threw 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
Yet there is a real problem that Winnipeg is staring down; Zach Collaros is not getting any younger and at some point he will retire. And if Winnipeg does not find a back up plan, they will be like Montreal at the retirement of Calvillo; a once dominant organization floundering due to no quarterback play.
And to prove that Winnipeg does not have a great go-to option, one needs to look no further than the 2024 Grey Cup. When Collaros got injured, Wilson came in for one series and settled for a field goal. No Streveler, no handoff to Oliveira; just the idea that Wilson can get it done; which he did not. That is likely why Collaros came back into that game even though he clearly was not able to play.
That leaves the Bombers with Collaros, Streveler, Willson, and rookie Chase Artopoeus. Not a great string of quarterbacks for a city hosting the 2025 Grey Cup. So the release of Shea Patterson is all the more intriguing. If the Bombers did not think Streveler was good enough to go in to the 2024 Grey Cup, and found out that Wilson was not good enough in the 2024 Grey Cup, then they obviously came to believe that Patterson could not fill that void, and they still need to be searching.
Here is what Chase Artopoeus had to say earlier this week indicating that there is still a learning curve and we do not know if he will be able to figure it out, ““It’s who am I identifying? Who is my main coverage tell or who is deciding what I’m reading on a certain play?” he explained. “A lot of our plays, you can either work one side or the other. So, you’ve got to figure out, ‘OK, who is my actual indicator? Who is going to tell me the story of the defence they’re in?’ It’s been a little bit of an adjustment because funky shells and you think, ‘That’s not even possible’ and then you remember there’s an extra guy out there and you’re not used to yet.
“Everybody is going to make mistakes, especially if you’ve only been doing it for about four days in a whole new system in a whole new league. I embrace mistakes. I’m here to try my best and put myself in position to be the best I can possibly be. If I do that then I can sleep at night and feel confident in what I’m doing.”
Yet, Bomber’s Assistant GM & Director of US Scouting, Danny McManus has said the Bombers are all in every year.
What do you think the Bombers need to do at the quarterback position? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment?
Let me know in the comments wherever you are reading this.
