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News February 14, 2026

1st & 10 | Moxey: “It was a no brainer.”

Jonathan Moxey -- from Calgary to Hamilton to the Blue Bombers; photo courtesy CFL.ca

@EdTaitWFC

Jonathan Moxey has been around the Canadian Football League long enough now to know how the free agency playbook reads. It’s always about the dollars in an offer but the players who have been through this before also understand the importance of fit and opportunity and can gauge if a team’s interest is legit or just a tire-kicking trial.

And so, when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers came courting during the opening of the negotiating window earlier this month the veteran cornerback had a feeling of deja vu because the two sides have done this dance before.

This time, however, it ended up in a match.

“I remember when I first left Calgary (in 2024), I was talking to Winnipeg a bit before I went to Hamilton,” Moxey said in a phone interview with bluebombers.com from his offseason base in West Palm Beach, FL. “So, it wasn’t really a surprise they were trying to get at me again when the window opened.

“JY (Jordan Younger, Blue Bombers defensive coordinator) is a good guy. I like the way he talks ball, and I’ve been a fan of the Winnipeg defence — I like the way they play, especially up front with their D-line and their linebackers.

“It was a no brainer. They showed interest in getting a deal done and I was ready to make that step.”

That narrative has been a common one in Bomberland this week as the club – by all accounts — scored a series of touchdowns in the free agent market. Dominant defensive lineman Jake Ceresna mentioned it earlier this week after scratching his name onto a new contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, as did mammoth offensive tackle Jonathan Broxton. So did receivers Tim White and Tommy Nield and linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox.

Winnipeg’s track record, even with last year’s 10-8 record, was a huge selling point. As was the continuity of the front office, the coaching staff and so many faces in the locker room. And when an organization with that kind of pedigree comes calling, well, a guy has to open his ears to listen.

“Winnipeg has a reputation for getting to the dance,” said Moxey. “I know the last three times they did (2022-24), it didn’t end the way they wanted. And then last year, a year they didn’t make it, it seems that it rubbed them the wrong way and now they’re hungry to get back to where they were at and having that opportunity to compete for the Grey Cup. That’s really what we all want. We don’t play in the CFL to get rich. Yeah, we are able to provide for our family, but we want to win and have that chance to compete for the Grey Cup. That’s something we’ll all be striving for this year.

“When I was doing my homework the first thing when I was talking to the coaches, was this: do they value what I can bring to the table? Some people get a guy who might have X, Y, Z numbers and they just throw him in but he might not fit the scheme, his personality might not mesh well with other guys. With me and after speaking with JY, and in speaking to some of the other guys, I feel like I’ll mesh well into that locker room and to the scheme.

“They already had some key pieces. You add myself, (Jake) Ceresna, (Jovan) Santos-Knox… we’re the cherry on top for that defence to make it even better than it already was. And it already was good.”

The addition of Moxey fills one of the two vacancies at cornerback and puts him in the mix with an already stingy crew in the secondary which features veterans Deatrick Nichols, Evan Holm and Redha Kramdi, along with second-year safety Cam Allen. Moxey’s versatility is also a factor: during his days in Calgary and Hamilton he has played all across the secondary.

“I see a lot of flexibility in that defence,” he said. “I see a lot of different types of players go there and it seems like you can be yourself in that defence and I really like that about it. Personally, I feel like I can bring versatility to it, a fresh set of eyes, as someone who has played all six spots in the secondary. I come from a unique aspect in that I can see if from every single angle. That’s the value I hope to bring to the room.”

Moxey started all season last year at corner for the Tiger-Cats and, admittedly, was hoping for a return. His take on what happened in Steeltown and what’s ahead here:

“I thought I was going back but they just took a little bit too long in the negotiation process and then they probably ran out of money,” said Moxey. “They’ve got four quarterbacks now, they have O-linemen, D-linemen, they just picked up Wynton McManis, who is a really good player. They’ve lost some guys in free agency and guys who have opportunity down south. I’m happy for all those guys. Hamilton was really good to me, my family and my career.

“It’s tough to leave. Any time you leave an organization that shows you that love and respect, that’s not easy. But there’s no love lost — I’ve got text messages from coaches and players. It’s just this year I’ll be wearing different colours. Now there’s the thrill of a new challenge.

“Every year of my career I’m changing as a person and growing as a person. Change is inevitable. Change helps you become a better man and a better player. This is just another step in my journey. Going from Calgary to Hamilton I was able to evolve mentally and physically, and I hope I can do the same there — continue to become a better person, a better guy for my family and my new teammates.”

More on a busy week in Bomberland in this week’s edition of 1st & 10…

Indulge us, for a moment… as we take a moment to do the ICYMI thing on all the pieces on our site this week because it’s been busy…

-Jarell Broxton on his first day in Winnipeg in Blue Bombers colours:

Broxton: “It feels amazing.”

-Recapping the media session with GM Kyle Walters:

Key Takeaways from Kyle Walters media

-Jovan Santos-Knox on returning to Winnipeg, where his CFL career began:

Santos-Knox: “I wanted to get back to where it all started.”

-Jake Ceresna, who also was in town this week:

Ceresna: “Go where you’re wanted.”

-Our CFL free agency special edition of The Huddle, featuring Ceresna and CJOB’s Derek Taylor:

One more piece of content, put together by photographer Cam Bartlett and videographer Smart Rosales, which offered an inside look at Ceresna’s first visit to this new football home:

FYI: Still to come on bluebombers.com — had a chat a couple of days ago with new receiver Tommy Nield and that story is coming soon.

Also… in case we’re accused of a heavy bias, here’s the take from TSN’s Farhan Lalji and Dave Naylor from earlier this week on what the Blue Bombers did in free agency:

And finally… Kudos to the CFL for establishing a new honour — the ‘Ted Goveia Football Operations Award’ — which has been set up to remember the long-time Blue Bombers Assistant GM who passed away last September during his first year on the job as the Tiger-Cats GM.

The new award will recognize ‘club football operations personnel for outstanding achievement in scouting, player identification, roster building and leadership.’

The first winner will be announced during the Coach of the Year Celebration March 25th in Edmonton during CFL Combine week, in addition to the top coach and the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award.