Photo courtesy: Dale MacMillan/Edmonton Elks
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed American linebacker Mike Smith Jr.
Smith entered the CFL with the B.C. Lions in September 2024, joining the team’s practice squad. He returned in 2025 and spent training camp with the club, but was released as part of final roster cuts. The native of Flora, Miss., previously spent time with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent.
The six-foot-one, 231-pound defenderfinished his collegiate career at Baylor University, where he made 25 total tackles, three tackles for loss, seven sacks, and one pass breakup in five games. After originally attending Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, he moved to the Division I level with Liberty University in 2022, where he made 85 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one interception over 11 games.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 13 regular-season games, going 6-7 as a starter.
The Blue Bombers ranked fifth in net offence, third in net defence, and eighth with a turnover differential of minus-eleven. The club’s leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, the leading receiver was Nic Demski with 1,001 yards, and the leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with average crowds of 32,343, which was a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year.