Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
Wynton McManis was sought after during the Canadian Football League’s communication window and free agency period.
“I was talking to a lot of teams, honestly. Ottawa was one of the ones that I talked to. I had talked to Sask. I had talked to Calgary. I talked to quite a few teams. I even talked to Montreal a little bit, but not as much as I would say the other ones,” McManis told 3DownNation.
“But I felt like the best fit for me, and the best team fit, was Hamilton. The kind of player I am and the fire that I bring, how I like to talk stuff, I feel like those fans are right there with me and feel the same way. You know what I’m saying? So it was the best, a match made in heaven almost.”
One Stampeders connection won out over another in McManis’ decision to sign with the Black and Gold: Brent Monson beat out Corey Mace. The former enters his second season as the Tiger-Cats’ defensive coordinator, and the latter comes into his third year as the Roughriders’ head coach with a Grey Cup as a bench boss on his resume.
“Sask is an attractive place, too, for players. Storied past, and my relationship with coach Mace has always been strong; he’s a great coach. But I don’t think at this time I was what they needed, and I don’t think at this time they were what I needed,” McManis said.
“Some teams, I don’t really have much of a connection to the coaching staff or know much about the coaching staff, I would say. Me and coach Monson go way back to our Calgary days. That was an easy decision. It would be an easy merge to rekindle that.”
The 31-year-old admitted there would be some change with regard to learning Monson’s defensive scheme as it has evolved since the pair were in Cowtown together in 2019. That year, the six-foot, 220-pound linebacker recorded 86 defensive tackles, nine special teams stops, two sacks and one forced fumble, which earned him an NFL contract.
“Not everything is the same, and even the things that I think are the same have changed over the years. You’ve got different names for different things. That’ll be the biggest thing, remembering the names. I’m always open to learning, so I’m trying to not forget everything that I’ve learned, but make sure I have enough room to add on to it,” McManis said.
“Take a lot of messing up, but a lot of trying. I think you’ve got to make mistakes, and I’m all for it at this point in my career. I can be loud and wrong at the same time, but I feel like if we’re all wrong, we’re all right. As long as we’re all on the same page, I feel like we can make it work.”
McManis noted he was “ready to go” for the 2026 CFL season after being shutdown with a groin injury last year, but the veteran needs more time prior to officially making his Tiger-Cats debut after missing Week 1 with a knee issue. Hamilton plays Winnipeg on Thursday, June 11.
