Photo courtesy: AP Photo/Julio Cortez/NFL.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma to a contract through the 2028 CFL season.
Elgersma viewed his United Football League work visa process as uncertain and decided to come north of the border to continue his professional football career. He was selected by the Birmingham Stallions in the 2026 UFL Quarterback Draft. Although the London, Ont. native missed the team’s first three regular season games due to his work visa not being approved, he was permitted to be with the Stallions on an unpaid basis.
“Winnipeg’s not a backup for anything. I have great respect for the culture of that locker room, for what the CFL is. I don’t view it at all as a plan A or plan B,” Elgersma told 3DownNation in January.
“I’ve said all along throughout the draft process when I was interviewed by teams that my goal is to be a pro quarterback and that’s ultimately what my dream has always been — to make a living playing the game I love. I don’t think of Winnipeg as a backup at all.”
The Blue Bombers selected Elgersma in the second round, 18th overall, during the 2025 CFL Draft. He’d been invited to rookie mini-camps with the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills, but there was no contract in place at the time with either team.
Elgersma was in Green Bay from Thursday, May 1, through Saturday, May 3, for rookie mini-camp. He ended up not attending Buffalo’s rookie mini-camp, instead returning to Wisconsin for follow-up interviews on Saturday, May 10, through Sunday, May 11. He officially put pen to paper with the Packers on Monday, May 12.
The six-foot-five, 227-pound QB completed 16-of-23 passes for 166 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while playing in three NFL preseason games with Green Bay, recording a 104.6 QB rating. It seemed as though he earned the No. 3 job behind Jordan Love and Malik Willis. Despite public praise from head coach Matt LaFleur, the coaching staff and personnel evaluators decided to release him after training camp and bring in Clayton Tune, who had been waived by the Arizona Cardinals.
Two days after leaving the Packers, the New York Giants called and brought Elgersma in for a workout. There was positive feedback from the team, but no contract was offered. More than three months passed before his next NFL trip. The San Francisco 49ers brought him in on December 1. Eight days later, the Chicago Bears took a live look in the Windy City, then the Miami Dolphins provided a quick round-trip visit to South Beach.
Elgersma won the Hec Crighton Trophy, Canada’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy, in 2024 while leading Wilfrid Laurier University to a Vanier Cup appearance. That earned him the chance to become the first Canadian university quarterback and second U Sports player ever invited to the Senior Bowl all-star game.
Over four years with the Golden Hawks, Elgersma completed 72 percent of his passes for 10,230 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions in 39 games. He also rushed 122 times for 572 yards, averaging 4.7 per carry, and 18 touchdowns. The big QB was twice named the Ontario University Athletics Conference’s Most Valuable Player, earning first-team All-Canadian honours in 2024 and a second-team selection in 2023.
Winnipeg adds Elgersma to a quarterback group which includes Zach Collaros, Terry Wilson, Bryce Perkins and Payton Thorne.
