Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography

Tim White signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers following his release from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and though some fans in Steeltown were hoping the four-time All-East Division selection would remain with the Tabbies, it appears the team never offered him a contract extension for 2026.

“We didn’t really have anything on the table, so we thought it was best to get out there and get into the market to see what was happening,” White told the media on Thursday.

“Really, it was just no movement as far as being in the negotiating process (with Hamilton), so when we got towards the end, we were like, ‘Hey, we need some movement or we have to get ahead in the free agency process,’ and that’s what we did at the end.”

The five-year veteran, who spent four seasons in the NFL prior to coming north, doesn’t seem bitter about how things ended with the Tiger-Cats. He surpassed 1,000 yards for the fourth-straight season in 2025, though he finished third on the team in receiving behind Kenny Lawler and Kiondré Smith.

“It’s a business, so at the end of the day, everybody’s looking at their plans for their team and everything like that. They made their decision and I had to go my direction,” said the native of Santa Clarita, Calif.

“At this very moment, (proving the Tiger-Cats wrong is) really not even important to me. I think just figuring out where I was going to go in this next chapter was the next step, so now I’m just excited to get with my new teammates, see what they’re about, and really show them what I’m about.”

White fielded offers from multiple teams following his release, though he declined to identify his other suitors. He said Winnipeg came in “last minute” with an offer he didn’t expect, though he decided to accept it relatively quickly. The Blue Bombers were the right fit in his mind, citing strong fan support, locker room culture, and a “winning tradition.”

“It was a pretty quick turnaround,” he said. “It was definitely a fun experience and they showed up. They showed up, they showed high interest, and I felt like they wanted me.”

The 31-year-old heard from several members of Winnipeg’s roster prior to signing his new contract, including Willie Jefferson, Brady Oliveira, and Nic Demski. He took this as a positive sign that the team’s leaders believed strongly in him becoming part of the team.

“When they were doing that, it kind of made me understand, like, ‘Yeah, this is why they have winning football over here, it’s because those guys, they do care.’ They want you to step in here and bring something to the table and I believe I can do that for them.”

White seems extremely bullish on what the Blue Bombers can accomplish on offence in 2026 and is excited to be reunited with offensive coordinator Tommy Condell, who he played under in Steeltown from 2021 to 2023.

“(Condell being Winnipeg’s new offensive coordinator) definitely was (part of my decision to sign). Just his ability to be creative, it was something that obviously I’m familiar with and I know. He likes to throw the ball and understands the pass game in the CFL, so definitely drew me in, and it was definitely something I wanted to be a part,” said White.

“Zach Collaros, obviously that’s a champion in himself, so just looking at it, I felt like we could definitely take the pass game and make it one of the best in the league.

“Looking at the pieces, you have Nic Demski, who’s a three-time 1,000-yard receiver in a row, and then you have a young guy in Pokey Wilson, who obviously is a burner down the field. He was a former 1,000-yard receiver and I believe he could be 1,000-yard receiver again, so they just had the right pieces.

“You have to mention Brady Oliveira, who’s a dominant back in this league, so it felt like a right fit for me and it was definitely something I wanted to be a part of.”

White has caught 383 passes for 5,488 yards and 33 touchdowns in 83 regular-season CFL games, making him one of the league’s most productive receivers over the last five years. If there’s one knock on his game, it’s that he’s sometimes prone to drops, something he’s working to improve upon even at this stage of his career.

“I always want to get better and I’m my harshest critic, so the drops is definitely something — the catching really is something that I work on improving every single day. It’s something that is an area that I actually grew a strong passion to improve in, so I know in 2024 I had struggles, and then in 2025 I improved on it much more,” said White.

“This looks to be my best year for me, so I’m extremely excited about it. I just want to give my teammates something to be proud of, something to be happy about. I want to give the fans something to be happy about, and I want to go out there and play dominant football.”

The five-foot-nine, 175-pound target has now joined a passing attack that finished dead-last in the CFL in 2025. Dalton Schoen played only five games after re-tearing his ACL, Demski missed the playoffs with a hamstring injury, and free-agent signee Dillon Mitchell was a complete bust, catching only 19 passes over nine outings.

White believes he can help elevate Winnipeg’s passing attack and become the No. 1 receiver the team so desperately needs.

“I feel like I’m extremely electric, a very consistent player. I’m a guy that you could depend on that’s going to be in the lineup consistently and going to be available for his teammates, for his coaching staff. I’m going to make big plays. I look to strike the play — one-play touchdowns — and if I’m not getting that down, very consistent underneath,” he said.

“I feel like I’m pretty versatile, so you can utilize me in the screen game, you could utilize me in intermediate passing game, and then you can utilize me in the deep game. Then you can move me all around the field — if you look at me like a weapon, I’m kind of like a utility knife, where you can use me all over, but I can also be dominant in one area as well.”

“Change is something that can spark somebody and I feel like that’s what it’s done for me already. Maybe I was ready for the change beforehand, but it seems like the right time for me, and it seems like the right place for me as well, and that’s important. It also feels good for my family as well, they’re excited about it. They like the colour blue, so that’s obviously motivating for me. We’re definitely ready for this next chapter.”