Canadian professional football running back signs three-year contract extension with Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have secured one of the cornerstones of their roster, signing Canadian running back Brady Oliveira to a three-year contract extension that will keep him with the club through the 2028 season. Oliveira had been scheduled to become a free agent in February.

According to insider Justin Dunk, the deal will pay Oliveira $290,000 in the first year, rising to $300,000 in both 2027 and 2028. Already the CFL’s highest-paid running back, the 28-year-old earned $240,000 during the 2025 campaign.

Oliveira enjoyed another productive season in 2025, rushing for 1,163 yards and three touchdowns across 15 regular-season games while leading the league in yards per carry (minimum 50 attempts). He also posted career highs as a receiver, hauling in 61 passes for 546 yards.

The five-foot-ten, 229-pound back was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 2024, becoming just the fifth Canadian in league history to win the award. His résumé also includes two Most Outstanding Canadian honours, two All-CFL selections, two rushing titles, and two Grey Cup championships.

Across 83 regular-season CFL games, Oliveira has accumulated 5,480 rushing yards, 1,830 receiving yards on 188 catches, and 27 total touchdowns.

Earlier this offseason, a CFL statistician confirmed to 3DownNation that Oliveira currently ranks eighth all-time among Canadian rushers. He needs 1,365 more rushing yards to climb into third place behind Andrew Harris and Normie Kwong, and one more 1,000-yard season to tie Harris’ Canadian record of five.

“He’s arguably the best tailback in the league,” head coach Mike O’Shea said earlier this offseason. “We love his style, the way he plays, and he’s just really, really good.”

Oliveira, originally selected in the second round of the 2019 CFL Draft out of the University of North Dakota, was ranked as 3DownNation’s second-best pending free agent this offseason.

The Blue Bombers finished the 2025 season fourth in the West Division with a 10-8 record, crossing over into the East playoffs before falling to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Semi-Final. Quarterback Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions in 13 games.

Winnipeg ranked fifth in net offence, third in net defence, and eighth in turnover differential at minus-11. Oliveira led the team in rushing, Nic Demski topped the receiving charts with 1,001 yards, and Tony Jones paced the defence with 104 tackles. The Bombers also led the CFL in attendance, averaging 32,343 fans per game—up 3.7 percent from the previous season.