Ethan Ball likely out for season for Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Photo: Samantha Keen/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

It appears the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be without Canadian defensive back Ethan Ball for the rest of the 2026 season.

“It’s gonna be tough to see him again the rest of the season, for sure,” head coach Mike O’Shea told the media on Wednesday. “He was another key piece — extremely smart, gifted athletically, hyper competitive, so that certainly hurts.”

The six-foot, 192-pound defender played three regular-season games this year, making one defensive tackle and one special teams tackle. According to Winnipeg’s injury report, he is dealing with an Achilles injury.

The 24-year-old was a sixth-round pick in the 2025 CFL Draft. He played 13 regular-season games as a rookie, recording nine special teams tackles.

The Regina native finished his collegiate career at the University of Calgary in 2024, making 27 total tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, two pass knockdowns, and one fumble recovery with the Dinos.

Brady Oliveira did not practice this week due to an ankle injury, though O’Shea indicated that he expects the star running back to play on Friday night.

The Winnipeg native has rushed for 732 yards, caught 28 passes for 215 yards, and scored five touchdowns this season.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-4) will visit the Edmonton Elks (7-3) at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday, August 21 with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off a 33-21 win over the Ottawa Redblacks, while the Elks blasted the Toronto Argonauts by a score of 42-12.

The weather forecast in Edmonton calls for 26 degrees and sun. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg or 880 CHED in Edmonton.