Photo: Reuben Polansky/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

It’s funny what a difference one year can make.

Tommy Nield tested CFL free agency in 2025, though he was coming off a relatively quiet season with the Toronto Argonauts that he finished as a healthy scratch.

This time around, the process was much different. Nield set all-new career-highs with 42 catches for 535 yards and five touchdowns with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, leading to significantly more interest from teams across the league.

Nield did not receive a formal offer to remain with the Roughriders, however, who spent heavily to retain fellow pending free agent receivers Samuel Emilus, Kian Schaffer-Baker, and KeeSean Johnson. Instead, he ended up signing with the rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I understand how things go in free agency. When you win a Grey Cup, you can’t keep everyone. I hadn’t heard anything from (Saskatchewan leading up to free agency) and I figured that it wasn’t looking like I was gonna get a contract there, so when Winnipeg showed their interest it felt like a great fit,” Nield told 3DownNation.

“The culture of Winnipeg and the team environment (were the top reasons to sign with the Blue Bombers). I know it’s great facilities, great support from fans. Previously playing there as an away team, that’s one of the most fun places to play, how loud it is.”

“If they want to start three Canadian receivers, being able to step into a role like that played a big factor and they’re always a playoff contender. I’ve only heard good things from guys who have been there, so it felt like a great fit.”

Despite now being on the opposite side of the CFL’s prairie rivalry, Nield is still proud to have played a key role in one of the most iconic plays in Saskatchewan football history.

With 12 seconds left in the West Final and his team trailing by a score of 21-17, Nield caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Harris to send the Roughriders to the Grey Cup for the first time since 2013. The sold-out crowd of 33,350 went berserk celebrating the play, which later went viral when members of the B.C. Lions claimed that Nield had failed to properly secure the ball.

“It’s really special, for sure. I’ll always remember that moment, I’ll always remember that season and that game — the energy in that stadium and how happy Rider fans were after that game,” said Nield.

“It’s pretty cool to see that many people come together for one game and … be super excited for a play like that and the fact that we were going to the Grey Cup. The fact that it was in Saskatchewan, too, I think made it that much more exciting.”

At a media availability last month, longtime Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros told a funny story from an offseason camp hosted by former CFL receiver Shamawd Chambers in Ontario a few years ago. Nield was one of the receivers in attendance but Collaros didn’t recognize him, leading the quarterback to inquire with Chambers.

“I pulled Shamawd aside, I go, ‘Who is that? What college does he goes to?’” recalled Collaros. “(Chambers) is like, ‘That’s Tommy Nield, you idiot.’ I was like, ‘Oh, s–t.’”

The 26-year-old wasn’t aware of the exchange between Collaros and Chambers, though he recalls how it felt to catch passes from the veteran quarterback.

“I remember being at the field with Zach and had a brief conversation. I thought we clicked well on the field there and I’ve seen him a few times since then,” said Nield.

“He’s a great dude, first of all — seems like a humble guy and really down-to-earth. He can sling it, for sure. He’s obviously been in the league for a number of years and he’s a veteran QB in the CFL that’s put together an amazing career so far. You see that when you’re on the field with him.”

The six-foot-three, 205-pound target has already won three Grey Cups, having done so in a depth role with the Toronto Argonauts in 2022 and 2024, then as a starter with the Roughriders in 2025. The common link between those teams, in his mind, is camraderie.

“It’s pretty crazy to think about — a lot of guys play a number of years and don’t even get to the Grey Cup, let alone win one. I’m grateful that I’ve been on a number of good teams,” said Nield.

“I think the common theme between them is the chemistry and how well guys on the team gel together — actually caring about each other off the field and spending time together. When you build that connection with your teammates as more than just being at football, it means more to you, it means more to everyone there, so I think that brotherhood is the common theme.”

Nield’s father, Pat, played linebacker alongside Mike O’Shea at the University of Guelph and the two remain friends. Nield recalls attending Argonauts game as a child and has made a point of greeting O’Shea before CFL games since entering the league as a player. Though he expects this relationship to help make for a smooth transition, he indicated it wasn’t a factor in his decision to sign with the Blue Bombers.

The native of Guelph, Ont. is spending the offseason in his hometown, though he makes trips to train in Burlington and Vaughan. He’ll report to Winnipeg for training camp on May 11 with his first regular-season game against the Roughriders scheduled for Sunday, September 6 when the rivals meet in the Labour Day Classic.