Bombers ‘jacked up’ by Jarell Broxton addition |
WINNIPEG — There’s already plenty of excitement inside the Winnipeg Blue Bombers building ahead of the 2026 season, and one name keeps coming up when players talk about the off-season.
The All-CFL offensive lineman arrived in Winnipeg as one of the most coveted free agents available, and it hasn’t taken long for his new teammates to recognize what he brings, both on and off the field.
Quarterback Zach Collaros sees a player whose ceiling might still be climbing.
“Oh, it’s huge,” Collaros told CFL.ca. “One of the best tackles in our league, and still a young player. He hasn’t had the amount of reps as a guy like Stanley Bryant, but I talked to him after he signed and you can tell how excited he is to be in Winnipeg and to work with a vet like that.
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Jarell Broxton joins the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after earning All-CFL honours, bringing size and physicality to an already strong offensive line (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)
“You take his talent and everything he’s already accomplished, pair him with a veteran who can pass on even one piece of knowledge, and I think that takes him to another level. He’s already a great football player, so bringing him into that room is going to be huge.”
For Collaros, it’s not just about Broxton’s play on the field. It’s about fit.
“We’ve got a great offensive line room, a great offensive line coach, and I’m really excited to be around him,” he said. “I’ve heard he’s a great guy, too. The couple times I’ve talked to him, he’s funny, he’s got a big personality, and you love having guys like that around.”
If Collaros sounded optimistic, running back Brady Oliveira didn’t try to hide his enthusiasm.
“Dude, I’m so jacked up about that,” Oliveira said with a grin. “That was my favourite signing of the whole free agency process. He was the number one free agent available, right? And the fact we were able to get him, as a running back, I’m like, please, sign all the offensive linemen — I wouldn’t be mad about that.”
For Oliveira, the addition of Broxton isn’t just about strengthening a position group, it’s about reinforcing identity.
“The fact we were able to bring in Broxton and add him to that group just solidifies it even more,” he said. “Everyone knows the way we want to play. We want to play smash-mouth football, make you feel us from start to finish.
“He plays the game that way. He plays it the right way. So to have him join a group that’s already loaded and already plays that style, yeah, I’m extremely excited.”
With training camp on the horizon, Oliveira is already looking ahead to what that could mean when pads come on.
“I can’t wait for May to come with training camp, and then June for Week 1,” he added.
For a team that has long prided itself on physicality in the trenches, the addition of Broxton feels less like a luxury and more like a statement.
And inside the Blue Bombers locker room, it’s one that’s already being felt.