Schoen’s 2025 campaign ends

Dalton Schoen’s season is over.

The star receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers tore his ACL in Week 5 in Calgary and opted to not get surgery. The club revealed Friday that he rehabbed for six weeks and attempted to play through it in last Sunday’s Labour Day Classic in Regina before realizing it wasn’t possible.

The two-time CFL all-star will now get surgery and miss the remainder of the 2025 campaign. This is the second year in a row Schoen has torn the ACL in his left knee.

“He could’ve had surgery however many weeks ago, but he put the team first,” said quarterback Zach Collaros.

“I don’t know if there’s an example of a receiver trying to play through an injury like that. And then, as well as he played last game, I think he still won every rep that he took. I just love the guy, he’s so tough, and cares so much about his teammates, and specifically cares about the people in this building — that’s why he lays his body out on the line. I can’t say enough good things about Dalton.”

Through his first two seasons, Schoen was arguably the top pass catcher in the league. He exploded onto the scene with 70 catches for 1,441 yards and 16 touchdowns as a rookie and followed that up with a sensational sophomore showing with 71 grabs for 1,222 yards and 10 touchdowns. Since then, he’s been limited to just eight games — three in 2024 and five in 2025.

“The decision he made is one that other guys make. They just want to play for their teammates and lay it on the line for them, and he worked his ass off to try to get in position to try and do that and it just didn’t work out,” said head coach Mike O’Shea.

“The difference between him doing it and a lot of other guys doing it is his injury is a lot tougher to overcome. A tremendous effort, and it just goes to show you the sacrifice these guys make for their teammates. The desire for them to do everything they can to help their team win and then sometimes it just doesn’t work out. So, from a human side, it just stinks.”

Schoen has been bit by the injury bug in three straight years. He suffered a serious foot injury at the end of the regular season in 2023 but managed to defy the odds and suit up for that year’s Grey Cup in Hamilton — a 28-24 loss to the Montreal Alouettes.

Schoen, 28, is not under contract for 2026.

“Dalton is a true pro’s pro. He does everything right behind the scenes,” said running back Brady Oliveira.

“Everything from getting all his workouts in throughout the week, mastering the small details when it comes to his craft at the receiver position, being a leader in this offence, eating the right food, getting the right sleep, like he truly does everything right. And when you see that happen to guys like that where he just hasn’t had the right luck the last number of years missing too many games, you wonder why, right? Why does it happen to a guy like that? He does everything right.”

Life without Schoen begins Saturday when the Bombers (6-5) host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-2) for the annual Banjo Bowl at Princess Auto Stadium (3 p.m. CT). Despite not being fully healthy, Schoen managed five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting with the Riders, which ended as a heartbreaking 34-30 loss.

“Dalton’s a major piece of who we are and what we wanted to be this season and moving forward,” said Collaros. “We got to attack things differently now.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca