The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have agreed to terms with former Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Shea Patterson, per sources. Barring anything unforeseen, he will join the team when CFL free agency opens.
The 28-year-old Patterson completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,655 yards with six touchdowns against five interceptions, rushed 38 times for 134 yards and seven scores while posting a 2-4-1 record in seven starts for the Riders last season.
The six-foot-one, 212-pound passer signed his first CFL contract with the B.C. Lions in June 2021 but was released three months later when the team signed former NFL quarterback Danny Etling. Patterson joined the Montreal Alouettes the following week, recording 13 carries for 23 yards over five games in a depth role behind veteran passers Vernon Adams Jr. and Trevor Harris.
Patterson was released by the Als in February 2022 to pursue the United States Football League. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the rebooted league’s inaugural draft and became the starting quarterback for the Michigan Panthers. He completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 943 yards with four touchdowns versus five interceptions over six games with the team before being released after the midway point in the season.
The Toledo, Ohio native transferred from Ole Miss to the University of Michigan for his final two years in the NCAA from 2018 through 2019. He completed 60.1 percent of his passes for 5,661 passing yards with the Wolverines, which ranks seventh on the program’s all-time list above NFL legend Tom Brady and Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and won the school’s Offensive Player of the Year award in 2018 while throwing for 45 touchdowns and 15 interceptions wearing maize and blue.
Patterson went unselected in the 2020 NFL Draft but attended training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs and then had a brief stint in The Spring League.
Pending free agents can negotiate with teams across the league during the current window, which closes on Sunday, Feb. 9. Players can agree to terms on a contract with a particular team, however, the deals are not legally binding and can’t be made official until after free agency opens on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
