First of all, this sucks! Chris Streveler is a great person and an amazing teammate! Anyone that does not feel for Streveler should check for a pulse because they may be lacking a heart.

Having said that, when I put my sports reporter hat on, it is my duty to ask the questions that we do not want to ask…it is my job to say the quiet part out loud. And for the record, yes, I believe it is possible to be a fan of a sports team and report professionally. Maybe back in the day, reporters were to be neutral. But that has changed. Look at Milt Stegall, Doug Brown, Derek Taylor. And do you really want to tell me Ed Tait is not a Bombers fan? They all bring professionalism to their coverage…but they do not hide that they are Bomber fans. And that is the way that I approach my articles, with my sports reporter hat on.

So with that in mind, and as terribly unfair and brutal as it is that Chris Streveler suffered an injury, I will ask (and try to answer in part) that which fans are asking the question to, and are coming up with their own answers. What if anything positive can come from the Streveler injury?

The Bombers and Streveler have unfortunately been here before in 2024: Streveler Out – Bombers Bring In Replacements. And the reality is the same now as it was then, “The reality of the situation is there there is no way that you really replace a guy like Chris Streveler. However, the Bombers are forced to bring in somebody that will take a quarterback place on the roster.”

At that time in 2024 the Bombers brought in Bryan Scott, and Jake Dolegala. Back in 2024 Wilson was also on the roster. And after the 2024 Banjo Bowl I said, “In the Banjo Bowl, Wilson did not throw the ball once. He rushed 3 times for 6 yards. If the Bombers find that either Dolegala or Scott are better passers than Wilson, Wilson may find himself with an apple and a roadmap.”

Yet, here we are in 2025, and the Bombers still have Wilson, who still has not thrown the ball well. And let us remember that the Bombers also had other quarterbacks in 2025 that they released including Patterson, and Dolegala. Back in 2024, and coming into 2025 the Bombers believed that Streveler was their best number two quarterback. Even after he played some bad games this year, and even after the Bombers came up with a game plan that Streveler intentionally did not throw the ball much at all…the Bombers kept Streveler as their number two quarterback!

In September of this year I wrote these three articles: Bombers’ Quarterback Woes Grow As Streveler Is Taking 1st Team Reps Even After His Last Game; and Reflections – If The Bombers Were Not Sure They Should Be Now That Streveler Will Not Get The Job Done. Reflections – Bombers Pull Off Unsustainable Win & Streveler Still Should Not Start The Next Game. Even earlier in May of this year I wrote: Bombers Release Patterson – And They Are Still In Need.

I want to be absolutely clear, this article is not about criticizing the Bombers and Streveler now that he is injured…I have been bringing forward this criticism all year. Yet, despite the play of Streveler this year, the Bombers were committed to playing him over Wilson. That could turn out to be a fatal flaw as Wilson did not get valuable reps earlier in the season – because Streveler started. Couple that with the fact that now the Bombers have not even seen Chase Artopoeus in live game action, and the Bombers are heading into the East Semi-Final with a lot of question marks again at the number two and three quarterback position.

So back to the original question, What if anything positive can come from the Streveler injury? For my money it is this; the Bombers will have to start the process of finding or developing a legitimate number two quarterback. Is it Wilson, Artopoeus, how about Trey Ford next year from Edmonton? Or, does Edmonton release Ford this week? I do not know.

What I do know is something else I have been saying for years. That is this, if the Bombers do not find or develop a legitimate number two quarterback they are going to find themselves in the exact same spot Montreal did when Anthony Calvillo retired…a world of hurt!

So while I am not sure that it is of any help for the Bombers this year, the Streveler injury likely forces the Bombers hand to do something they have been very hesitant to do…move on from Streveler as their number two quarterback. A move that in many people’s estimations is long overdue.

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