The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will not be re-signing star receiver Dalton Schoen, sources tell the Free Press.
The pending free agent isn’t expected to be ready for game action until the fall as he’s still recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. Schoen tore the ACL in Calgary back on July 3, rehabbed for six weeks, and attempted to play through it in the Labour Day Classic in Regina before realizing it wasn’t doable.
Schoen, 29, tore that same ACL in 2024 and has played just eight games these past two seasons.
ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Dalton Schoen
Despite the setback, the Overland Park, Kan., product has hired a CFL agent and intends on playing again once fully healed.
When Schoen — a two-time league all-star and the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2022 — was shut down for the season in 2025, his teammates and coaches praised the receiver for trying to gut it out.
“He could’ve had surgery however many weeks ago, but he put the team first,” said Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros at the time.
“I don’t know if there’s an example of a receiver trying to play through an injury like that. And then, as well as he played last game (five catches for 58 yards and a TD), I think he still won every rep that he took. I just love the guy, he’s so tough, and cares so much about his teammates, and specifically cares about the people in this building — that’s why he lays his body out on the line. I can’t say enough good things about Dalton.”
Through his first two seasons, Schoen, was arguably the top pass catcher in the league. He exploded onto the scene with 70 catches for 1,441 yards and 16 touchdowns as a rookie and followed that up with a sensational sophomore showing with 71 grabs for 1,222 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The CFL’s legal tampering window opened Sunday at 11 a.m. CT. Pending free agents can agree to terms on contracts with new teams during this time before officially signing on Feb. 10.
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Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.
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