Zach Collaros had a simple recruiting pitch for Jake Ceresna.
The two-time CFL all-star defensive lineman was on the open market and the quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers reached out with a proposition.
“Zach’s saying, ‘Hey, how about you join my team and stop hitting me?’” revealed Ceresna in a Tuesday morning presser at Princess Auto Stadium.
While that didn’t exactly sway Ceresna, it certainly helped that Collaros, and others like running back Brady Oliveira, made it clear that they wanted him in blue and gold. Once he did sign, the messages began to flood in from names like left tackle Stanley Bryant, defensive back Deatrick Nichols, and new defensive line coach Jake Thomas.
“If you see guys staying in an organization for many years and not leaving, there’s something the organization is doing right,” said Ceresna. “And guys reaching out, expressing interest in telling you to come here it makes you feel wanted. It’s a good feeling to have, and I’m just glad it worked out and I’m here.”
The 31-year-old inked a two-year deal with the Bombers hours after the free agency tampering window opened on Feb. 2. The contract became official on Tuesday.
It also didn’t hurt that the Bombers opened up their wallets with an offer that will pay him $235,000 (with a $120,000 signing bonus) this season, and $255,000 in 2027. Once Ceresna’s previous team, the Edmonton Elks, made it clear that they were moving in a different direction, it became a bidding war between the Bombers and the Ottawa Redblacks — who he broke into the league with back in 2017 — for his services.
“It was funny… I thought it was going to work out (with Edmonton) and we were going to get a contract done. But it just didn’t materialize and then I hit free agency and there were other teams out there that expressed more interest and there’s a saying I always have that’s, ‘Go where you’re wanted,’” said Ceresna, who resides in Florida and is in Winnipeg this week to get his work permit sorted.
“I want to be somewhere that wants me and I want them and if we have a great relationship we can make it work.”
Ceresna, a versatile defender who can play on the interior of the D-line and on the edge, was averaging 10 sacks per year between 2022-24 before suffering a setback in 2025 that limited him to 11 games. He had a bucket handle meniscus tear that was initially misdiagnosed, leading to him gutting it out until it got to a point where he couldn’t use that leg. Ceresna opted for a long-term recovery instead of a quick fix with hopes of not having any issues with the knee going forward.
“I’m running, jumping, squatting heavy in the gym, so everything is going great. I feel strong. My body is the best its felt going into the season for the past four years that I can remember,” said Ceresna.
“When you get hurt, the rest of the nicks and bruises heal up, too, that bother you from season to season. I just feel great. I feel ready to go. I’d start tomorrow if I could.”
Other new roster signings that became official on Tueday were OL Jarell Broxton, Canadian receiver Tommy Nield and veteran cornerback Jonathan Moxey.
Adding those names to an already strong Winnipeg core has Ceresna confident the team will bounce back from a disappointing campaign.
“We’re talking about a down year, and they were 10-8… I’ve been 4-14 in this league a couple times,” said Ceresna with a laugh. “I think we’re going to be OK. Zach Collaros is still a great player, Brady Oliveira’s great. A lot of guys here got a chip on their shoulder and they’ve got something to prove, just like I do. And we’ll see what happens.”
Ceresna played five seasons in Edmonton, but he did reach the CFL’s mountain top in 2024 in his lone season with the Toronto Argonauts. The Argos, led by backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle, smacked the Bombers 41-24 in the Grey Cup.
BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS
Defensive lineman Jake Ceresna inked a two-year deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Feb. 2, hours after the free agency tampering window opened.
A smiling Ceresna, who returned to Edmonton the year after, said he’s in no rush to bring that game up with his new teammates.
“I’m just gonna stay quiet on it. I’m here now, so, I’m a part of Winnipeg,” he said. “We’re competitors at the end of the day. We’re on the same team, aligned on the same vision. We’ve got one goal in mind and that’s the future. We’re not looking back.”
Now with his fourth CFL team, Ceresna hopes he has found is forever football home.
“I’m hoping to be here for a long time. I’m hoping to be here for five, six years if I can finish up my career here.”
SANTOS-KNOX RETURNS
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On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
Jovan Santos-Knox is back where his pro career started.
The 31-year-old linebacker agreed to a one-year contract with the Bombers on Tuesday.
Santos-Knox spent the past three seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks and was named the club’s 2025 Most Outstanding Defensive Player. In 111 career CFL games, the University of Massachusetts product has amassed 528 defensive tackles, 16 sacks, five interceptions and four forced fumbles.
Santos-Knox played his first two CFL seasons in Winnipeg (2017 and 2018) before moving on to Edmonton, Hamilton and then Ottawa.
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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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