The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have officially signed American quarterback Shea Patterson. 3DownNation reported the agreement during the CFL’s recent free-agent negotiation window.
The 28-year-old passer completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,655 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions with the Saskatchewan Roughriders last year. He also rushed 38 times for 134 yards and seven scores, posting a 2-4-1 record in seven starts.
The native of Toledo, Ohio signed his first CFL contract with the B.C. Lions in 2021 but was released three months later when the team signed former NFL quarterback Danny Etling. Patterson joined the Montreal Alouettes the following week and recorded 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 Alouettes 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, four touchdowns, and five interceptions over six games with the team before being released near the midway point in the season.
The six-foot-one, 212-pound passer transferred from Ole Miss to the University of Michigan for the last two years of his collegiate career. 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.
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.
