TORONTO — Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros has been suspended one game for failure to respond to Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) officials for an off-season drug test.
CCES personnel attempted to contact Mr. Collaros twice by phone, once by text and once by email over a two-hour period. He failed to respond within 24 hours. In consideration of extenuating circumstances, the CFL has reviewed the situation and has suspended him for one game.
Mr. Collaros has never tested positive for a Performance Enhancing Drug under the joint CFL/CFLPA Drug Policy.
Moving forward, the CFL and the CFLPA have agreed to enhance contact protocols for off-season testing of players.
Under the policy, suspended players cannot participate in regular season or post-season games. It is at the Club’s discretion whether to allow players to participate in other team activities, such as training camp, preseason games, practices or meetings.
The joint policy mandates a total number of league-wide tests equal to the total number of players in the CFL. Testing is ongoing and is conducted year-round.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers President and CEO, Wade Miller, issued the following statement regarding Wednesday’s ruling on the one game suspension of quarterback Zach Collaros.
“Zach Collaros is one of the most respected leaders in our locker room and across the CFL. He’s a professional in every sense—committed, accountable, and a true example of what it means to be a Blue Bomber.
There was no intent for wrongdoing by Zach—just a missed step in the process. Both the CFL and CFLPA have since clarified and improved their communication protocols to help ensure this doesn’t happen to other players in the CFL.
Zach will miss our first regular season game but will continue to fully participate in training camp and preseason games. As an organization, we’re also reviewing and strengthening how we support players in navigating off-season requirements.
Zach remains an incredibly valued leader on and off the field, and we look forward to having him back under centre on June 21.”
