Veteran Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat has retired from professional football, 3DownNation confirmed with his agent on Friday.
Jeffcoat was scheduled to become a free agent on February 13 and received little interest from the Bombers regarding a return to Winnipeg. He has elected to step away from the game rather than try his luck with another franchise.
The 33-year-old played 14 games for the Bombers in 2023, recording 21 defensive tackles, eight sacks and three forced fumbles. However, he continued to be nagged by injuries and ends his CFL career having never played a complete season.
The six-foot-three, 251-pound pass rusher first came to Winnipeg in 2017, playing all 78 of his career CFL games with the club. He amassed 150 total tackles, 38 sacks, 13 forced fumbles and two interceptions, earning a CFL all-star selection in 2021.
Prior to arriving in Canada, Jeffcoat spent parts of three seasons in the NFL, originally signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He would join the Washington Commanders later that year and saw action in nine games with the team, collecting nine tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, a forced fumble and an interception. He ended his time in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns.
The native of Dallas, Tex. had an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Texas, racking up 172 total tackles, 50 tackles for loss, 26 sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception in four seasons. He was named a consensus All-American after a 13-sack senior season in 2013, taking home Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honours and the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end.
