The Winnipeg Blue Bombers could be without one of the league’s best cornerbacks when they begin their quest for a third-straight Grey Cup.
According to a report from Darrin Bauming of Bonfire Sports, former all-star Winston Rose sat out practice on Sunday and was seen wearing a walking boot on his left leg.
The undisclosed lower-body injury was likely suffered in Winnipeg’s preseason clash with the Edmonton Elks on Friday. Rose recorded one tackle in the 30-20 loss at IG Field.
Head coach Mike O’Shea has yet to address the media regarding the injury but is unlikely to provide much additional information given his reputation for protecting player privacy.
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 in September.
The cornerback returned to the CFL and the Blue Bombers on October 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.
