Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea revealed that defensive back Ethan Ball will likely miss the rest of the season after suffering an Achilles injury in the team's win over Ottawa last week. The 24-year-old was just in his third game of the season and is described by O'Shea as a "key piece" due to his intelligence, athleticism, and competitiveness. This marks the second player the Bombers have ruled out for the season after linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox suffered an injury on the first day of training camp. Ball's loss is expected to hurt the team's depth on both defense and special teams.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-20,
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Story summary
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have lost another player to a season-ending injury. Defensive back Ethan Ball, who had just started playing in his third game of the season after missing the start of the year due to an injury, suffered an Achilles injury in the fourth quarter of their win over the Ottawa RedBlacks last week. According to head coach Mike O'Shea, Ball will likely miss the rest of the campaign, which is a significant loss for the team as he was considered a key player, described by O'Shea as "extremely smart" and "hyper-competitive". This is the second season-ending injury the Bombers have suffered this year, following linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox's injury on the first day of training camp.
Written for “Winnipeg Blue Bombers Injury” on 2026-08-31,
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No political leaning scored for article 1515 · logged 2026-08-21
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have lost another player to a season-ending injury.
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Bombers → lose → injury
Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea revealed on Wednesday that defensive back Ethan Ball will likely miss the rest of the campaign after he suffered an Achilles injury in the fourth quarter of their win over the Ottawa RedBlacks last week.
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he → reveal → RedBlacks
“It’s gonna be tough to see him again the rest of the season for sure,” O’Shea told reporters on Wednesday.
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O’Shea → go → Wednesday
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It was just the 24-year-old’s third game of the season after also starting the year on the injured list.
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It → get → list
It was pretty evident by his reaction on the field that he knew it was a serious injury immediately, slamming his hand on the turf in frustration.
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it → know → frustration
The loss of Ball hurts their depth on both defence and special teams.
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loss → hurt → defence
“He was a key piece,” O’Shea said.
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O’Shea → say → ?
“Extremely smart, gifted athletically, hyper-competitive, so that certainly hurts.
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that → hurt → ?
He’s the second player the Bombers have ruled out for the season after linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox was injured on the first day of training camp.
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Knox → ’ → camp
Bombers running back Brady Oliveira missed a third straight day of practice, but the head coach said he still expects Oliveira to suit up on Friday despite him being listed as questionable to play.
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him → miss → Friday
Receiver Nic Demski is also questionable but was back on the field for their final session before they jet off to Edmonton for Friday’s matchup against the West Division-leading Elks.
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they → jet → Elks
