Photo: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Willie Jefferson thought long and hard about his decision to re-sign with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but his hesitation had nothing to do with the prospect of retirement.
The soon-to-be 35-year-old pass rusher dismissed any suggestion that he was no longer at the top of his game when addressing the media on Friday. However, he was surprisingly frank about how close he came to leaving Winnipeg, acknowledging that he wondered whether he would be better off chasing another championship elsewhere.
“That was conversations that I had with my wife, friends and family. There was thoughts about that,” Jefferson admitted.
“At the end of the season, and then at the beginning of the offseason, that was on my mind. Is this the time for me to leave and go somewhere else and try to get over the hump of losing Grey Cups or losing those close playoff games? But I believe in Zach (Collaros). I believe in Coach O’Shea, I believe in Kyle (Walters). I believe in (Nic) Demski, Brady (Oliveira), and especially the defence.”
Jefferson has been with the Bombers since 2019, winning Most Outstanding Defensive Player that season and helping the franchise break a 29-year Grey Cup drought. The team went back-to-back in 2021, and the seven-time all-star’s cry of “Come on down to Winnipeg” became the slogan for an era of renewed dominance.
That dominance has recently begun to fade. While the Bombers made it to five consecutive CFL championship games, the last three resulted in losses. Then in 2025, the team finished fourth in the West Division, were relegated to a crossover berth, and got sent packing in the Eastern Semi-Final.
Compounding disappointment was enough for Jefferson to hit the pause button in the offseason, taking time to reassess before engaging in serious contract negotiations.
“The team understood where my mind was, the last couple of seasons, the way they ended,” he explained.
“I didn’t want to necessarily rush my decision, and neither did the team. They understood where I was coming from. We were in communication throughout the holidays, but it was never just like, ‘Okay, what do you want to do?’ That type of stuff came after New Year’s, which I expected.”
The Bombers’ offseason moves, particularly the extensions signed by defensive standouts like Deatrick Nichols, Evan Holm, and Redha Kramdi, convinced Jefferson that the team was still moving in the right direction. Even so, his interest was only part of the equation, and the two sides went through several rounds of negotiations before reaching an agreement this week — the latest that he had ever signed an extension with the team.
While the Beaumont, Tex., native remained vague about just how far apart the opening offers were, he did acknowledge the process was more challenging than years past.
“It was a little bit more difficult, if you want to say that,” he said. “Just feeling like I know what I’m worth, and then giving that number to the team, and then the team coming back to me and either agreeing with the same mindset, or giving me their thoughts on what they think is a better option.”
“I wanted to be in Winnipeg. I didn’t want to leave Winnipeg. Winnipeg is where I’ve been for the last few years, we’ve done a lot of great things in Winnipeg. We’ve been winning, and I want to continue that. That was something that I stressed in negotiations. I didn’t want to make it seem like I wanted to leave, but with all free agents, if the numbers didn’t match or the vibe wasn’t there for both sides, then we was going to explore other teams.”
In the end, the Bombers came “close” to the right number, making Jefferson feel comfortable enough to sign on the dotted line early and eschew his chance to test the market during the legal tampering window. Though exact figures were not disclosed, he indicated that the number was roughly equivalent to the $200,000 he earned last season.
“With the year I had last year, I felt like a level kind of year for my contract negotiations. I wasn’t necessarily trying to take a pay cut because I know I’m still asked a lot of in my position, in my role on the team,” Jefferson remarked. “The numbers spoke for themselves and you turn on the tape, you can see I still played a big role when I was on the field. This contract, I feel like I can stay somewhat level. I wasn’t necessarily looking for a boost, or a big raise or anything like that.”
That could change on his next deal, as Jefferson has no plans to step away from the game. Though he hit new career lows with 15 defensive tackles and three sacks last season, the long-armed DE peaked with 16 batted passes and insists the game film shows a player who is as disruptive as ever.
While another ring remains the ultimate goal, the 12-year veteran admits that he has others in mind that can only be achieved by staying in Winnipeg. 18 more knockdowns will secure him the CFL record in that category, and he’s still chasing Tyrone Jones’ franchise sack record, however improbable it might be that he’ll amass the 53 needed to surpass him.
“That’s my legacy. That’s me showing my dominance in the league, me showing my dedication to climb that ladder for the organization,” Jefferson said. “I’m working to be one of those names up there with those great guys in the Ring of Honour. I want to be next to the Doug Browns and the Milt Stegalls, all those guys. I want to be up there.”
“Retirement isn’t in my mind for the next few years. I’m still playing at a high level, and I feel like I still have a good amount to give to the game, to the community, to the CFL as a whole.”