Just five years into his Canadian Football League career and two things jump out instantly about Tommy Nield, one of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers new free agent additions:

He’s a winner, having already earned three Grey Cup rings during his days with the Toronto Argonauts (2021-24) and last year with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
And there are undoubtedly worst nicknames for a receiver than ‘Touchdown Tommy.’

“I’m grateful, for sure, to have already been on some great teams in a short span of time in my CFL career,” said Nield in a chat with bluebombers.com from his offseason home in Guelph, Ont. “Coming to Winnipeg — the program and the history of the Bombers speaks for itself.

“I’ve only heard good things about Coach O’Shea and the staff there and that there’s a real brotherhood type of vibe. That’s something that aligns with what I believe in. It’s about playing together as a team and competing your tail off.”

Nield, who doesn’t turn 27 until April, arrives in Winnipeg at an interesting point in his career. He’s already got the championship bling from the Argos and Riders and is coming off a season in which he posted career-best numbers with 42 receptions for 535 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games, 11 of them starts.

But with the Riders loaded with Canadian talent at receiver, including Samuel Emilus, Kian Schafer-Baker, Ajou Ajou and Dhel Duncan-Busby, he wasn’t offered a contract when the free agent negotiation window opened earlier this month. The Blue Bombers, however, see a receiver with good size at 6-3, solid numbers and a championship pedigree.

He’ll now be expected to step in to the spot Jerreth Sterns previously held as a starter and give the club the option to start three Canadian receivers along with Nic Demski and either Kevens Clercius, Joey Corcoran or, potentially, a 2026 CFL Draft pick.

“I didn’t get an offer from Sask and so that wasn’t really in the plans. And when Winnipeg reached out I had a really good conversation with Coach O’Shea and it just seemed like a great fit for me,” said Nield. “I know the culture is great in Winnipeg, there’s a winning tradition and there are great fans and it’s a great facility. It just felt like the right fit.”

Asked about the narrative that he’s still got a lot more to give, Nield offered this:

“Oh… 100 percent. Definitely there’s unreached potential. Last year I unfortunately started off the season with an ankle injury, but had I got to play a full 18 games I would have had even better numbers. That’s my main goal: stay healthy, practice hard, practice every day and be available all the time. The rest should then take care of itself.

“I’m big on preparing through the week and understanding what kind of defence we’re going against. It’s about developing that relationship with the quarterback and knowing where he’s going to be going with the ball and where I’m going to be. When you’re in sync with the QB it’s pretty tough to stop. I’m good at building that relationship with the quarterback and knowing what he expects from me and what to expect from him.”

That’s the intriguing part here for Nield and the Blue Bombers. The growth he’s experienced as a player since his rookie year in 2021 has been exponential and if Winnipeg can tap into that further this year, then ‘Touchdown Tommy’ — he scored the winning TD in the Western Final win over the B.C. Lions last year with just seconds remaining — could become an important part of the offence here.

“Going into this year I’m so much more comfortable,” said Nield. “Last year I built a lot more confidence because that was a year where I got to have a more consistent starting role and when I started in Toronto, I was more the sixth or seventh receiver and not really a solidified role. Last year was huge for my development. When you’re getting all the reps in practice, you’re able to play fast on game day.

“I’ve been around a lot of different people now, going into my sixth year and I’ve learned from all of them.”

To that end, Nield credited the receivers he was around in Toronto to begin his career and raved about working with Rider QB Trevor Harris and the Saskatchewan receivers as well as offensive coordinator Marc Mueller and receivers coach Marquay McDaniel.

And now it’s about doing the same thing here in Winnipeg.

“I’m super excited to join the Bombers and get on a new team and meet the guys,” he said. “Sure, there is a bit of a bittersweet feeling because I did love being in Saskatchewan. I know there’s a big rivalry between the two teams, but I can’t say anything bad about my time there. I’m grateful I was given an opportunity to start there. It was a lot of fun. I built some great relationships with those guys and the coaches.

“Last year was probably the most fun I’ve had playing football but now I’m ready to build off that in Winnipeg. I’m really pumped.”