Blue Bombers release Wolitarsky

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This article was published 27/01/2025 (314 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have said goodbye to another familiar face.

The CFL club announced early Monday it has released popular receiver Drew Wolitarsky, in what was a bit of shocking move for an organization that prides itself on continuity. Drafted by the Bombers in the 2017 CFL Supplemental Draft, the 29-year-old Canadian spent the last seven seasons in Winnipeg and had become a well-respected member of the team and greater community in Manitoba.

“These decisions are always difficult and it’s especially true with a player who has been with us for so long,” said Blue Bombers general manager Kyle Walters, in a prepared statement. “Drew has been a solid contributor for the team, was popular in the locker room and was instrumental in two Grey Cup championships.

“And for that the franchise is forever grateful.”

Wolitarsky ends his time in Winnipeg having played in 89 regular-season games and registering 227 receptions for 2,954 yards and 18 touchdowns. He won two Grey Cups (2019, 2021) with the Bombers, with his best season, statistically, coming in 2023, when he had 47 catches for 668 yards and six touchdowns.

Wolitarsky took to social media shortly after finding out the news. He had just arrived in Australia for a vacation with his wife and young family.

“I had some life-changing news today,” Wolitarsky stated. “I found out this morning I was being released from Winnipeg, that I will no longer be playing for Winnipeg. Still just trying to wrap my mind around that, to be honest with you. I’m having a hard time believing that; it’s just been so long in one place, man, and to get that call was definitely heartbreaking for me.”

Wolitarsky’s exit comes just days after the Free Press reported the Bombers would be moving on from veteran linebacker Adam Bighill, who is set to become a free agent on Feb. 11. Bighill signed with Winnipeg in 2018. He developed into an important leader in the locker room and on the field with the Bombers.

Bighill also shared his disappointment with the Bombers moving on from him, outlined in a social media post on Friday. He called the situation “unfortunate” but that he wasn’t caught off guard or mad by Winnipeg’s decision. He then thanked fans for their support over the years.

“We have built an unbreakable bond, which is one of the things I cherish most about this game,” Bighill wrote to his teammates. “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.”

Let’s take this opportunity to address these and a few more big storylines with the Bombers as they inch closer to free agency next month.

1) It’s clear in the video message Wolitarsky was shocked by the news he was being released. Unlike Bighill, he was still under contract for the 2025 season and was scheduled for a signing bonus, around $12,000, in early February. Wolitarsky, who will be 30 in March, still has plenty of gas left in the tank and, like Bighill, is hoping to extend his career.

2) It should be noted a CFL player getting cut before an off-season bonus is not cruel business. In fact, off-season bonuses are put in place by an agent to, ultimately, force a team’s decision on the player — pay him the bonus or release him from the contract. This way, the player gets paid the bonus and knows he’ll be on the team or gets cut and gets a head start on free agency.

3) In the case of Bighill and Wolitarsky, while it’s disappointing to lose such well-respected guys in the room, the Bombers are confident in who they have as replacements, who are both younger and cheaper options. Tony Jones signed a two-year deal after playing well in relief for Bighill, while Kevens Clercius, who the Bombers drafted in the second round last May, was a quick study in his first season, finishing with 32 catches for 352 yards and one touchdown in his rookie campaign.

4) There appears to be two different accounts of what happened between the Bombers and Bighill, who claimed last week that he had to call general manager Kyle Walters earlier this month to get clarity on his future with the team. The Bombers have publicly denied that, countering head coach Mike O’Shea informed Bighill in December he wouldn’t be offered a contract and Walters confirmed as much a short time later when the two spoke (Bighill represents himself in negotiations).

5) The Bombers have taken a couple hits in recent years, with what players have described as a lack of proper communication when it comes to deciding when to move on from a popular veteran. It was Andrew Harris in 2022, and Jackson Jeffcoat last season. It’s the ugly part of the business that no team is immune to. While the Bombers could probably be better at delivering the news in a more timely and respectable manner, few players have enjoyed the level of loyalty and perks that exist in Winnipeg.

6) I’ve been seeing a lot online about the release of Wolitarsky and how it might help the Bombers sign Kenny Lawler and Dalton Schoen to contracts this season. Lawler and Schoen are considered among the top receivers in the CFL, and both are set to become free agents next month. I don’t think the Wolitarsky news moves the needle at all when it comes to freeing up cash to sign both players, as any savings would have likely already been eaten up in other contracts.

7) I get the feeling the Bombers are really struggling to decide on what to do with Lawler and Schoen. Unlike last season, when Walters was able to sign both Schoen and running back Brady Oliveira to extensions, I can’t imagine there will be any similar magic performed this year. That might actually be by design, as Winnipeg looks to reallocate its money elsewhere on the roster and not tie up more than $500,000 on a pair of receivers. With Dillon Mitchell also now in the mix, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

8) The Bombers also need to figure out what they are going to do with defensive back Tyrell Ford and offensive lineman Liam Dobson. Both are Canadians and both are asking for significant pay raises. Ford, who is still getting looks from the NFL, could be poised to reset the Canadian DB market with a contract upwards of $200,000 per season, while the Dobson situation is looking a lot like what happened with Drew Desjarlais a couple years back, with Desjarlais ending up signing in Ottawa, making him among the highest paid non-quarterbacks in the CFL.

9) Count me among those curious why the Bombers still don’t have an offensive co-ordinator on staff. I’ve heard a handful of names, but no one has been confirmed, nor have I heard anyone is close to being announced for the job. That could change overnight, however, and O’Shea said during winter meetings that he expected the role to be filled by the Feb. 11, the first day of free agency.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X and Blue Sky: @jeffkhamilton