Cam Lawson is on the phone from his offseason base in Brampton, ON., not too long after having scribbled his signature on a two-year contract extension with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Fresh from the gym — get this, his sessions regularly include two hours of lifting AND an hour of cardio — the 27-year-old defensive tackle is still riding that endorphin spike that comes from working out when he begins a conversation with bluebombers.com.
“I’m raring to go, man,” began the Queen’s University product, who will now head into his fifth year and fourth season with the club in 2026 after missing all of 2024 with a knee injury. “I knew they wanted to get a deal done later in the season and I figured we would start contract discussions relatively quickly after the season was over.
“I talked to my agent about it and we already knew we wanted to stay in Winnipeg and so the groundwork was already there in terms of the relationship and so it was then just about figuring out the numbers and that didn’t take very long either. We got it done and that’s nice because I like having it out of the way. I tend to worry about thing sometimes, so this is great.
“Plus, it gives me even more motivation to work harder and prove I’m worth what they signed me for. I’m excited and it’s all set and we’re ready to go.”
Lawson bounced back in 2025 after missing the ’24 season and in 16 games — six of them starts — he registered 21 defensive tackles, one sack and one forced fumble while sharing playing time with veteran Jake Thomas. What the coaches and management have said repeatedly, both during the year and afterward, was how much Lawson consistently pushed the pile at the point of attack.
All of that is part of why Lawson was quick to re-sign rather than wait until February to see what the Canadian Football League’s free agent market might offer. Stability matters to Lawson. So does familiarity and loyalty — all factors that were a big part of his decision, along with the numbers on his pay stub.
“Stability matters, 100 percent — especially in the CFL with guys mostly signing one and two-year contracts,” he said. “Being able to consistently retain guys throughout the years is a big part of building good teams, championship teams. Comfortability is a huge factor. So is the unknown of going to a different team and not being sure what they want to do with you. Going into free agency, if the market isn’t good at your position, it might be difficult to find a home with another team.
“Winnipeg is the team that gave me a chance by trading for me, giving me a lot of snaps and playing time early on in my career,” he added. “I’m forever grateful for that because I wouldn’t be where I am now without that opportunity. So, of course I have loyalty with them. I went into this offseason knowing I wanted to sign with them. That was my priority. Obviously, there can be situations where things don’t work out, but I wanted to be in Winnipeg.”
This will be an intriguing offseason for the Blue Bombers heading into 2026 after finishing fourth in the West Division with a 10-8 record and being bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Expectations are still incredibly lofty in Bomberland and despite posting nine consecutive double-digit win seasons, there is a drive to get back into the CFL’s upper echelon and chase championships again.
“Our coaching staff and the management are great people, and they know what to do,” Lawson said. “They’ve built championship teams in Winnipeg before. I have faith in them like they have faith in me.
“You know, sometimes you need to be punched in the face. You can get comfortable with where you are… there’s the saying ‘complacency is the killer of progress.’ I believe in that. After every season I’m always planning on things I can do better — how I can be stronger, how I can improve in certain areas. You never want to be OK with what happened. None of us are.
“And so, I think we can get back to winning championships and dominating once again and I know we’ll keep signing guys and bringing guys in that are going to contribute to that.”