Winnipeg Blue Bombers moving on from veteran LB Adam Bighill: report

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have informed veteran linebacker Adam Bighill that he will not be re-signed for the 2025 season, according to a report from Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun.

The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer is scheduled to hit free agency on February 11. After receiving no communication from the club regarding an extension throughout December and into January, he called general manager Kyle Walters and was told definitively that his future would not be with the Bombers.

Bighill said his goodbyes to the Bombers’ fan base in a post on his Instagram account.

“It’s unfortunate I won’t be coming back to the Blue and Gold this coming season. I’m not mad, I understand the way the business goes. Sure it’s disappointing when things don’t work out the way you want them to, but I knew this was a possibility and by no means was caught off guard.

First off, thank you to all of the fans who have been nothing short of AMAZING. From the day I arrived here, there was nothing but love, and it’s a major reason why we live full time here in Winnipeg today, as well as run a business here.

Secondly, thanks for the Bombers organization bringing me in, the football experience is top notch. I’ve been around for awhile and sometimes players don’t know how good they have it. Winnipeg takes care of their players and I’m very thankful to have been part of helping this organization bring back the grey cup to the Province of Manitoba.

Lastly, I’ll miss sharing the field with my guys! We have built an unbreakable bond, which is one of the things I cherish most about this game. I only hope that all of them know that everything I did was for them, and to help them be the best they could be. I realized mid way through my career that you should judge a player by how much he elevates the players around him, as opposed to just how well he personally plays.

My intentions are to keep playing. Rehab is going great and it’s all training in the gym/running/plyos. We will see what the next chapter holds, but I know this, you can’t keep a savage down. Thank you Winnipeg Blue Bombers and thanks Big Blue!!

#4TheW for the last time.”

Bighill is recovering from a season-ending knee injury suffered in August but had previously stated his desire to return to the Bombers. He made 48 defensive tackles and one sack over 10 starts in 2024.

The five-foot-ten, 241-pound linebacker has spent the past six seasons in Winnipeg, joining the team in 2018 after a stint with the New Orleans Saints. He has helped the team reach five consecutive Grey Cup games, winning a pair of titles in 2019 and 2021.

The twelve-year veteran has played 190 regular season CFL games since beginning his career with the B.C. Lions in 2011. He’s recorded 939 defensive tackles, 71 special teams tackles, 50 sacks, 15 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles, and one touchdown, putting him on track to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

The native of Montesano, Wash. has won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award three times, including twice with the Bombers, while earning six All-CFL selections and eight West Division all-star nods. In 2024, he was given the CFLPA’s Tom Pate Memorial Award for outstanding sportsmanship and dedication to his team and community.

The Bombers have already re-signed American linebackers Kyle Wilson and Tony Jones for next season — the duo that started the 111th Grey Cup. Bighill has indicated that he intends to listen to offers from other franchises and is not yet ready to retire.

The post Winnipeg Blue Bombers moving on from veteran LB Adam Bighill: report appeared first on 3DownNation.