WINNIPEG 鈥� The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed star defensive lineman Willie Jefferson to a one-year contract extension, the team announced on Monday.
Jefferson, 32, was set to become a free agent in February. The 2024 season will be his fifth with Winnipeg and 10th in the CFL.
The six-foot-seven, 242-pound defensive end was named a CFL all-star for the fifth time in his career in 2023.聽
Jefferson was fifth in the CFL with 11 sacks, second with three forced fumbles and had a league-leading 13 pass knockdowns. He added 21 defensive tackles in 17 regular-season games.
Jefferson became the first player in CFL history to record 50 career sacks and 50 pass knockdowns in 2022.聽
His 37 sacks in Winnipeg ties him for ninth on the Blue Bombers all-time list. Jefferson has 58 sacks across a career in which he also spent time in Edmonton and Saskatchewan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2023.
The Canadian Press
