Blue Bombers re-sign former CFL all-star DB Winston Rose

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed American defensive back Winston Rose to a one-year contract extension. He was scheduled to become a free agent on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

The six-foot, 171-pound cover man is returning for a third season with the Blue Bombers and his fourth in the CFL.

Rose led the CFL in interceptions in 2019 and was named a CFL all-star at the end of the season. The New Mexico State product turned that success into a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, officially signing with the NFL team on Dec. 31, 2019.

The 28-year-old spent most of the 2020 NFL season on the Bengals’ practice roster and suited up for two regular season games. He was waived and added to Cincinnati’s practice roster at the end of training camp in 2021 before being released on Sep. 6.

The cornerback returned to the CFL and the Blue Bombers on Oct. 20 last fall and started the final three regular season games along with the West Final and Grey Cup. He had five tackles in the trio of regular season games and added seven more in the playoffs.

A veteran of 43 CFL games with Ottawa, B.C. and Winnipeg, Rose has 116 career tackles and 14 interceptions with nine of them coming as a member of the Blue Bombers. He first came to Canada in 2016 as a late-season practice roster addition in Toronto after NFL stints with the Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts before being waived.