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Willie Jefferson recorded only three sacks in 2025, tying the previous career-low he recorded over just five games a decade ago.
One might think this is a sign of a player on the decline but it doesn’t appear Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea is at all concerned about the six-time All-CFL selection’s waning sack numbers.
“I think people put too much of a premium on the stat of a sack. I mean, think of how many knockdowns he had last year — those are all dead plays. (The offence is) punting or (the knockdowns) turn into interceptions,” O’Shea told the media on Tuesday.
“They have to account for him, so they work the protection to him, and then somebody has gotta win, too. I think the idea of the stat of a sack can be overrated. How close you are to the quarterback, how you affect the play, how often you affect the play would be more important to measure. He affects a ton of plays and a lot of times, you wouldn’t even notice it, but the play call says that they’re doing that because of Willie.”
Jefferson notched a league-leading 16 pass knockdowns in 2025, improving his career total to 93. He currently ranks second all-time in CFL history behind Hall of Fame defensive back Eddie Davis, who recorded 111 pass knockdowns over 15 seasons with the Birmingham Barracudas, Calgary Stampeders, and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
For context, Mathieu Betts tallied a league-leading 15 sacks last season but only four pass knockdowns. Over 79 career regular-season CFL games, he has knocked down seven passes.
That’s not to say Betts isn’t better than Jefferson — the Université Laval product was named the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player for a reason — but the impact of both players is far more comparable when pass knockdowns are taken into consideration alongside sacks.
For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus had Betts ranked fourth among defensive ends (min. 300 snaps) in 2025, while Jefferson ranked eighth. The three top-graded players at the position were Julian Howsare, Malik Carney, and Clarence Hicks, who recorded 13, eight, and 12 sacks, respectively.
It’s clear that O’Shea also values what Jefferson brings as a leader. The six-foot-six, 252-pound edge rusher has never shied away from helping younger players learn the position and what it takes to be successful in the CFL.
“When he got here, he stepped right up into trying to help guys out,” said O’Shea. “He’s always done that, since the day he got here.”
The native of Beaumont, Texas turned 35 this offseason, though Winnipeg’s longtime head coach doesn’t seem to care about the veteran edge rusher’s age, so long as he’s disrupting opposing offences.
“He’s ageless, timeless,” said O’Shea. “However you want to describe it.”
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers opened training camp on May 10. Winnipeg will play its first preseason game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, May 23 and second preseason game against the B.C. Lions on Friday, May 29. Final roster cuts are due on Saturday, May 30, after which the team will play its first regular-season game against the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, June 5.
Winnipeg recently selected Wake Forest defensive lineman Nuer Gatkuoth with their first-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, adding to the club’s pass rush. The team’s other major offseason additions include receiver Tim White, offensive lineman Jarell Broxton, and defensive lineman Jake Ceresna.
In 2025, the Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes.
