Safety a major concern for Riders’ Collaros

Unfortunately for Zach Collaros, he is an expert on player safety in the CFL.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ quarterback was on the receiving end of two hits to the head that resulted in him missing playing time during the 2018 season.

The first took place during a pre-season game against the Calgary Stampeders and eventually led to him missing four regular-season contests.

The second happened in the Riders’ regular-season finale, in which Collaros absorbed an illegal hit to the helmet by B.C. Lions’ defensive end Odell Willis. The hit wasn’t penalized until Riders head coach and general manager Chris Jones successfully challenged the infraction. Willis was assessed 15 yards for the hit, but wasn’t ejected.

The latter hit proved to be especially costly to the Riders, as Collaros was sidelined for the West Division semifinal — a 23-18 loss to the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

While meeting with the media Wednesday, one day after re-signing with the Roughriders, Collaros was asked whether the CFL is doing enough for player safety. “No,” he stated. Collaros’ blunt statement is backed by CFL Players’ Association executive director Brian Ramsay.

“Zach is right in his comments,” Ramsay said. “We have to do more and it’s not acceptable when you look at who is deciding on what risk to take. The decisions are being made by the people who aren’t bearing that risk.”

The CFL has made adjustments regarding player safety, such as eliminating padded practices during the regular season, increasing the bye weeks from two to three, restricting the strike zone

There isn’t much of a penalty for the hit. If you knock a guy out of the game, you stay in the game.

of quarterback to prohibit high and low hits, banning hits on quarterbacks when they slide feet first, making roughing the passer subject to video review and tougher supplemental discipline, including more maximum fines and suspensions.

Collaros, however, is looking for more in regard to addressing player safety.

“There isn’t much of a penalty for the hit,” he said.

“If you knock a guy out of the game, you stay in the game.”

Ramsay feels the players need to be more involved when it comes to their safety.

“When we look at player safety and the amount of risk down on the field, we’re no longer going to leave it to the nine owners to purely dictate how much risk players will take when they hit the field,” he said. “Those days are done.”

Collaros likes the approach used in NCAA football, which uses replay to identify targeting penalties. The offending player is ejected immediately.

“I don’t know if it’s helped the play down there, but it has probably helped player safety,” Collaros said. “It’s made defenders or even offensive guys more cautious about taking that cheap shot.”

The CFL and CFLPA are to begin talks on a new collective bargaining agreement in March. Player safety and the rehabilitation of injured players are expected to be part of those discussions.

“If we’re going to grow our league together, we’re going to have to address those issues,” Ramsay said.