I have heard fans saying that Jefferson, who is now 35 years old, just does not have it any more, and that his stats prove that. I disagree.

The Bombers put pen to paper and re-signed Jefferson, but his stats lacked in 2025 and there was a bit of a process in getting the deal done. It is correct that Jefferson did not have the stats that we are used to seeing, in terms of sacks. But I do not blame that on Jefferson’s lack of ability, nor his age. Rather, I chalk this one up to play calling. How are you going to get a lot of sacks when the Bombers only rush 3? And that was a very common theme for their defence. I believe it is the scheme, not the person, which resulted in Jefferson not having the stats he once had.

I also believe that is why the Bombers wanted to get a deal done with Jefferson. It would be pretty hard for the Bombers to attract another defensive end. When the player is bound (due to scheme) not to rack up the sacks and the tackles, that is a tough ask. Not only for the player to play in the Bomber’s system, but also for them to have a bargaining chip for future contracts.

In 2025, Jefferson recorded career lows with 15 defensive tackles and three sacks. However, the long-armed DE peaked with 16 batted down passes and believes the film shows that he still has the disruptive capabilities.

Contract Negotiation
The Bombers would have been criticized (and rightfully so) if they lost Jefferson due to dollars. The Bombers tried that experiment last year, with other players. And to put it mildly, it was a massive failure!

Jefferson said that this year the negotiations were a little bit more difficult. He felt like he knew what he was worth, and was not sure what number the club would come back with. In the end, Jefferson said that the Bombers came close enough to his number. And that is important. What often gets overlooked in contract negotiations is the cost of living in other markets. Additionally, a move would mean that Jefferson would have to choose to uproot his family, or he would have to live in another province than his family for the season. When the complete situation was weighed out, Jefferson decided that the pros of staying in Winnipeg outweighed the cons.

If you recall in 2020, Jefferson did test out the NFL and did get larger offers from Toronto and Hamilton. At that time it looked like he might just be a gun for hire. But when he signed back in Winnipeg, he said what I mentioned earlier…you cannot just look at the dollars. “Jefferson also suggested the difference in the cost of living between Manitoba and Ontario affected his decision.” (Source)

However, unlike that time in 2020 where he said, “Jefferson also doesn’t want to go through negotiations every year. ‘Just to know what I’m getting for the next two years gives me a little comfort, takes a lot off my back and coming into the off-season just getting to work and not having to worry about the little things.” (Source)

However, Jefferson did mention that retirement is not on his mind and he intends to play for a few more years. But remember, he only signed a 1 year deal with Winnipeg, so he is thinking a bit differently than he did in 2020. Should Winnipeg fumble and bumbled through the 2026 season, Jefferson may decide that his best option is to move on…but that it yet to be determined.

Chasing Greatness
One could easily say that Jefferson has achieved the status of greatness, and it would be really hard to argue against that. And while the number is big, only18 more knockdowns will secure him the CFL record in that category. That is an average of 1 a game…so I think that may take a couple of seasons, but it is doable.

Less doable would be to catch Tyrone Jones’ franchise sack record. It would take Jefferson 53 more to do that. Even if the Bombers were not just utilizing a 3 man front, that number would be hard to reach.

What do you think? Is it a matter of age, scheme, or a combination of both that have resulted in a decrease of sacks for Jefferson.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section wherever you are reading this. Catch all my articles here.