Matt Nichols is eighth different Bomber QB in eight years to start Banjo Bowl

Matt Nichols, who the Winnipeg Blue Bombers brought in via a trade with Edmonton last week, is set to become their fourth-different starting quarterback this season in Sunday's Banjo Bowl against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, which is remarkable. However, what's even more amazing is how this fits in with Winnipeg's historical pattern of quarterback turnover. As Scott Billeck noted on Twitter Wednesday, Nichols is set to be the eighth different Banjo Bowl starting quarterback for the Bombers in eight years:

That's a remarkable list of starting quarterbacks, and apart from Kevin Glenn, none of those guys have gone on to success elsewhere. Indeed, what's particularly concerning for the Bombers is that they don't have a great history with quarterbacks brought in from other clubs; Buck Pierce (formerly with B.C.) was probably the best of that bunch, but he couldn't stay healthy, and Michael Bishop (Toronto) and Steven Jyles (Edmonton, Saskatchewan) both had their struggles in Winnipeg. Then again, homegrown quarterbacks like Joey Elliott and Justin Goltz didn't really work out for the Bombers either, so it may be more of an issue with Winnipeg's quarterback play in general than where those quarterbacks originated from. That's not all on the QBs, either, as the Bombers have often had mediocre receiving corps, ground games and offensive lines during that time, but still, eight different starters in eight years is certainly a bad sign.

To be fair, Nichols isn't in quite the same situation as many of those guys, as Winnipeg still seems to believe in Drew Willy as their starter when he's healthy. Still, they do desperately need a solid quarterbacking performance Sunday against the 1-9 Roughriders (who got their first win of the season against Saskatchewan this past Sunday). If Nichols can play well there, that might help solidify his spot on the club and make him a part of their plans going forward.

A long-term role with Winnipeg isn't a certainty for Nichols. Keep in mind that the Bombers got some promising play from Robert Marve before he got hurt, and even Brian Brohm was more effective than he often had been in this past week's game, so it's not like Nichols will stick around at any cost. He'll have to play well to earn his spot, and some of the numbers he put up in Edmonton suggest he can be capable of that, but his recent numbers involve far too many interceptions. We'll see if Nichols can provide that, or if he'll be another in the long line of Banjo Bowl starters who didn't have much of a sustained impact in Winnipeg.