Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
Veteran linebacker Wynton McManis appears ready to make his regular-season debut for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday.
“Hopefully, no setbacks, and we’re expecting him to be up,” head coach Scott Milanovich confirmed to the media on Thursday.
McManis was the Ticats’ prized free agent acquisition this offseason, but was sidelined for the first three games of the season due to a bone bruise in his knee. He has been a full participant in practice this week after recovering during the bye week.
Hamilton has enjoyed strong play at middle linebacker despite the 31-year-old’s absence, as third-year Canadian Ryan Baker has stepped up with 16 defensive tackles. While the UBC product’s performance was praised by Milanovich, he believes McManis brings a different element.
“Bake has done a great job; really proud of what he’s done in Wynton’s absence,” he said. “Wynton, there’s kind of an intangible there, an instinctive deal. Bake is also instinctive, but (Wynton) had two interceptions yesterday in practice. He’s always just had a knack for finding the ball and getting a big sack when you have to, and getting an interception, and he usually scores when he gets one. He’s a player I’ve always respected.”
McManis has played 100 regular-season CFL games over seven seasons with the Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts. He has recorded 390 defensive tackles, 52 special teams tackles, 16 sacks, nine interceptions, four forced fumbles, and three touchdowns, earning two All-CFL selections and winning three Grey Cups.
However, injuries have limited the veteran over the past two seasons, as he appeared in just 12 games in 2024 and 13 games last year. That has led some analysts to question whether McManis has lost his crown as the CFL’s best linebacker, though any opponents with a similar thought process should proceed with caution, according to Milanovich.
Asked whether he thought the Winnipeg Blue Bombers would test the linebacker in his return to action, the offensive guru offered only a warning from experience.
“I know better than to go after Wynton in the pass game. I’ve tried it before, and it hasn’t worked out well,” Milanovich said. “I’m not sure what they’ll try to do. I’m sure they’re going to try to run the football; that’s their MO. Depending on what the weather is going to look like on Sunday, we’ll see. But I’ve never been one to test him in the pass game.”
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-1) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-2) at Hamilton Stadium on Sunday, July 5, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off a 23-18 loss to the Edmonton Elks, while the Tiger-Cats were on bye.
The weather forecast in Hamilton calls for a high of 28 degrees and a 40 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg or Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton.
