‘Happy to be able to be with such a great fan base’ Bombers’ Holm becomes highest paid American DB in CFL with two-year extension By: Taylor Allen Posted: 5:43 PM CST Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026

Evan Holm arrived in Winnipeg back in 2022 without fanfare.

The softspoken defensive back enjoyed a successful career a few hours south at the University of North Dakota, but it didn’t lead to any serious looks from the NFL. Compared to all the other first-year Americans trying to crack the three-down loop with the Blue Bombers that year, his resumé certainly didn’t stand out.

“I remember just coming in, and there was like 24 DBs, and I was late to camp, just trying to make the team, try to still play football, because I love football,” said Holm in a Zoom call with reporters on Thursday.

“And Winnipeg gave me a chance.”

He was cut after the first pre-season game but was brought back soon after and slowly but surely worked his way into the lineup where he appeared in nine games with four starts. As a full-time starter in 2023, he proved to be one of the best halfbacks in the CFL, and he further cemented that in 2025 when he was named the team’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player for the first time in his career.

Holm’s growth was rewarded in a big way on Tuesday as the Bombers signed the 27-year-old from Edina, Minn., to a two-year contract extension that makes him the highest paid American DB in the CFL.

Holm will earn $180,000 in 2026 which includes an $80,000 signing bonus.

He was scheduled to become a free agent in February.

“I don’t really think about that stuff. Just happy to be able to be with such a great fan base and be able to raise a family through football, which has been such a blessing,” said Holm.

“Winnipeg gave me a chance.”

Before putting pen to paper, Holm recently worked out with the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. It was only 30 minutes, and he didn’t feel he was at his best considering it’s a few months into the CFL off-season, but it was an avenue he wanted to explore before committing to Winnipeg.

“I did my best, and the CFL has been very good to me and the halfback position for me is really great for me and what I’m athletically capable of. I fit into that mold where in the NFL I’m caught between a nickel and a safety and that’s sometimes a factor as well. It’s, ‘Ah, what kind of position would he play?’ because halfback is such a unique position,” said Holm.

“So, you wrestle with (not getting a fair shake in the NFL) but I also feel the CFL fits me and suits me well. You could always do better but I did my best and that’s all you can really do.”

The Bombers are getting the band back together in the secondary with Holm joining fellow halfback Deatrick Nichols and dime back Redha Kramdi as players who have re-signed. They were key pieces in what was one of the best defences in the CFL last season, but the entire unit came out flat in the playoffs and were a big reason why the Bombers fell 42-33 to the Montreal Alouettes in the East semifinal.

The Als took a 19-point lead into halftime.

“I thought as a defence we came out terrible. We just didn’t do what we needed to do. We fought back, and that’s great and all, but at the end of the day, I feel we lost that game as a defence — the offence was playing great,” said Holm.

“It’s hard to say that, but I feel if we done a couple different things, we’d be having a different conversation. You’d say, ‘Wow, you guys are still great.’ The goal is always the Grey Cup, and we didn’t get there and that’s just something you have to come to terms with. But I think the key pieces are there.

“You can learn from our mistakes, we’re not trying to repeat the same things.”

BOMBERS RE-SIGN SPECIAL TEAMS ACE

Veteran Canadian linebacker Tanner Cadwallader agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Bombers on Thursday.

Cadwallader, 28, has finished second or third in special teams tackles on the team every year since 2022 and is four shy of moving into the franchise’s top 10.

He was originally selected in the seventh round, 64th overall, in the 2020 CFL draft out of Wilfrid Laurier and hasn’t missed a single game since his rookie season in 2021.

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