The 2025 Ottawa Redblacks were riddled with injuries, and this was no more evident than the quarterback position, where Drew Brown played part of the year due to injury while missing a significant number of games.
The five-foot-eleven, 200-pound passer was the backbone of the team's injury report, battling hip, neck and knee issues throughout the season to try to stay on the field.
“Football is a lot of reactionary impulsive movements, so like any of us, I think if anyone tells you they don't care (playing with an injury) then they're full of crap.” Brown told media in Ottawa..
“That's the reality, but like I said, I made those decisions and I'll take responsibility for my performance when I said I was good enough to go. We're human, so every time something's wrong, there are things that at that point you realize you probably can't do to the best of your ability and that's just part of the game.”
Brown appeared in eleven regular season games in 2025, but made only nine starts, posting a 2–7 record. He completed 71.5 percent of his passes for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and ranked eighth in the league in passer rating (minimum 100 attempts).
The Reds and Blacks plan to conduct a complete re-evaluation of their approach in an attempt to not only help Brown stay on the field, but also limit injuries at other positions.
“We need (Brown) to get healthy and we need our quarterback to get on the field to make more plays during the season.” said general manager Sean Burke..
“It's not Drew's problem, it's an organizational issue. We need to look at how we operate and what we do – through practice, through medicine and in the offseason – so we'll do that. I know no one wants to do more than Drew, and I'm really excited to see what he thinks about his offseason and talk to him about it.”
According to 3DownNation'According to the records, which were compiled using data from teams' published injury reports through the 2025 season, the Redblacks have lost 281 games to injuries this year, the second-most of any CFL team and 37.5 percent more than the league average.
“(Injuries) are part of the game and unfortunately every team has to deal with it and we couldn't handle it with the numbers we had,” Brown said. “But like I said, everyone deals with it, so you just have to try to overcome it.”
The 28-year-old passer fared better in his first season with Ottawa in 2024, when he went 8-6-1 as a starter while completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,959 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Most would argue that Ottawa's receiving corps was better this year, with three-time All-CFL player Eugene Lewis signed from Edmonton and Kahlil Pimpleton, who was voted the team's Most Outstanding Player candidate, becoming a full-time starter.
However, the offensive line has clearly regressed, especially at right tackle, where Zach Pelejos played in just three games due to injury. The Redblacks gave up 47 sacks in 2025, seven more than the previous year.
Brown has a $150,000 roster bonus payable on Jan. 15, 2026, as part of a contract worth $462,500 in hard money and a cap hit of $474,500. Only three players – Nathan Rourke, Chad Kelly, Zach Collaros – earned over $470,000 this yearwhich puts Brown among the CFL's highest-paid players.
Despite the disappointment about 2025, it appears Brown is still looking forward to returning under the terms of his current contract as he looks to help Ottawa return to the playoffs.
“I have a commitment here for next year, and I'm looking forward to it. I see myself continuing to grow here with the guys that we have and that we're bringing in, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm trying not to think too far into the future, but I love this city and my teammates, so I'm going to try to keep it going as long as I can.”
Brown said he plans to “do everything (he) can” to prevent similar injury problems from occurring next season when The Redblacks will be looking to improve under their new head coach.. He doesn't question his endurance, although he wants to do everything he can to stay healthier next year.
“I wouldn't say I question it. Do I think about it? Yes, but I don't question it. I think I'll continue to turn every stone to control what I can control, trying different things – whether it's in the offseason or in the season – to be able to sustain playing a position in this league, but I don't question it.”
In 2025, the Ottawa Redblacks finished fourth in the East Division standings with a 4–14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Drew Brown went 2-7 in nine starts at quarterback, throwing for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Dustin Crum went 2-4 in six starts, throwing for 1,771 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Redblacks ranked sixth in net offense per game, fifth in net defense per game and ninth with a minus-16 turnover margin. The club's leading rusher was William Stanback with 698 yards, the leading receiver was Justin Hardy with 1,019 yards, and the leading tackler was Adarius Pickett with 84 tackles. Ottawa ranked eighth in attendance with an average attendance of 18,136, down 4.2 per cent from the previous year.
