Redblacks trade unhappy QB Dru Brown, seek first win against Alouettes

A cloud of unhappiness has lifted over the Ottawa Redblacks with the trade of quarterback Dru Brown to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Brown had requested a trade after losing the starting job to Jake Maier during training camp. "Dru wasn’t happy and I think everybody knew he wasn’t happy," said Redblacks coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie. "The coach-player communication and relationship obviously was never going to be there after the request, right? Everybody around the building was kind of walking on eggshells, and so that’s not there anymore."

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Dru wasn’t happy and I think everybody knew he wasn’t happy. The coach-player communication and relationship obviously was never going to be there after the request, right? Everybody around the building was kind of walking on eggshells, and so that’s not there anymore.

The Redblacks, who sit last in the CFL in average points for and against, are still searching for their first win under Dinwiddie. They face the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday with a 0-2 record. Dinwiddie, who previously coached the Toronto Argonauts, had hoped to keep both Maier and Brown, but Brown's dissatisfaction with a secondary role led to the trade.

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We had to move forward and find an answer and have a plan. McLeod obviously played good football for me, we won games. So that was our answer.

To fill the void, Ottawa signed veteran quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who previously won a Grey Cup with Dinwiddie in Toronto in 2022. Bethel-Thompson will join the team next week to serve as a backup to Maier. Maier, who has struggled in his first two starts, has completed just 61 percent of his passes for an average of 6.3 yards per attempt, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. "That’s obviously super frustrating. I hate losing," Maier said. "I’m doing everything I can to make sure that I can crack the code on some of our shortcomings."

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That’s obviously super frustrating. I hate losing. I wouldn’t get to this point in my playing career if I accepted losing or felt OK with it. I’m doing everything I can to make sure that I can crack the code on some of our shortcomings.

Maier stated that Brown's departure will not affect his approach to the game, and he does not anticipate looking over his shoulder with Bethel-Thompson's arrival. "You're week to week, month to month, year to year … there’s no shoulder watching here, man. It’s totally out of my control. I’m just trying to play as well as I can," he said. Dinwiddie expressed confidence in Maier, noting that there are plays he should be making.

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You're week to week, month to month, year to year … there’s no shoulder watching here, man. It’s totally out of my control. I’m just trying to play as well as I can.