The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed Canadian Brady Oliveira to a three-year contract that keeps him with the team until 2028. He was scheduled to become a free agent in February.
According to 3DownNation According to insider Justin Dunk, Oliveira will earn $290,000 in the first year of the deal, then $300,000 in 2027 and 2028. already the highest paid running back in the CFLearning $240,000 in 2025.
The 28-year-old rushed for 1,163 yards and three touchdowns in 15 regular-season games last season, leading the CFL in yards per carry (minimum 50 attempts). He also set brand new career highs with 61 catches for 546 yards.
The five-foot-ten, 229-pound ball carrier was named the league's 2024 Most Outstanding Player, becoming only the fifth Canadian player in CFL history to win the award. He is also a two-time Most Outstanding Canadian, a two-time All-CFL honoree, a two-time CFL rushing champion and a two-time Gray Cup winner.
In 83 CFL regular season games, Oliveira rushed for 5,480 yards, caught 188 passes for 1,830 yards and scored 27 touchdowns.
Earlier this offseason, a CFL statistician confirmed 3DownNation that Oliveira ranks eighth all-time among Canadian rushers. He needs just 1,365 yards to rank third behind Andrew Harris and Normie Kwong. Oliveira also needs just one more 1,000-yard season to tie Harris' Canadian record of five.
“He's probably the best defender in the league,” head coach Mike O'Shea said early in the offseason. “We like his style, we like the way he plays. He's a hometown guy – not that it even matters – he's just really, really good.”
Oliveira was 3DownNation'second-ranked expected CFL free agent. He was originally selected in the second round of the 2019 CFL Draft out of the University of North Dakota.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10–8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as a crossover team before losing in the East semi-finals to the Montreal Alouettes. Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 13 regular-season games while going 6-7 as a starter.
The Blue Bombers ranked fifth in net offense, third in net defense and eighth with a minus-eleven turnover margin. The club's leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, the leading receiver was Nick Demski with 1,001 yards, and the leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with an average attendance of 32,343, up 3.7 per cent from the previous year.
