Jovan Santos-Knox will not suit up for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2026.
The veteran linebacker suffered an apparent non-contact right leg injury 90 minutes into the opening day of training camp on May 10. On Monday, head coach Mike O’Shea confirmed the injury to the 31-year-old is season-ending.
Santos-Knox crumpled to the turf during a running drill and had to be helped off the field by two staff members.
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Jovan Santos-Knox (45) suffered a season-ending injury 90 minutes into the opening day of training camp.
“He was brought here for a reason — we had him here when he started and liked everything about him. He ends up not in our building, we watched him from afar and enjoyed the way he plays and the way he leads, especially,” said O’Shea.
“I thought he was going to be a great fit for us this year and so did he. It was nice to have him back and so, yeah, he’s crushed. He knew what he wanted to do this year and what he wanted to be a part of and that’s been taken away from him.”
The Bombers signed Santos-Knox to a one-year deal in free agency. He initially broke into the CFL with Winnipeg in 2017 and was back with the team after splitting the last six seasons between Edmonton, Hamilton and Ottawa.
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“Ever since I left, my heart was always wanting to get back to Winnipeg somehow, some way,” said Santos-Knox in February.
“It’s the organization, it’s the city, it’s the fans. There’s not a franchise in the CFL quite like it and I’ve been around to a few, as you guys know. Just to be able to get back and be back to where it all started is an amazing thing.”
Santos-Knox recorded 80 defensive tackles and one interception for Ottawa last year and was the team’s nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
In 111 career regular-season CFL games, the Waterbury, Conn., product has 528 defensive tackles, 16 quarterback sacks, five interceptions, and four forced fumbles.
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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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