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He may have left the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last year, but his heart was still in Winnipeg.
Receiver Drew Wolitarsky signed a one-day contract with his former CFL club to retire as a Blue Bomber after playing 96 of his 98 career CFL games in the blue and gold.
Wolitarsky announced his retirement at the age of only 30 after eight years in the league.
He played seven seasons in Winnipeg after being selected in the 2017 CFL Supplemental Draft and racked up nearly 3,000 yards receiving with 18 career touchdowns. His best season was in 2023, when he made 47 catches for around 700 yards with six touchdowns.
Wolitarsky was released by the Bombers a year ago and signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats shortly after, but he didn’t make a single catch in only two games in an injury-plagued 2025 season and was cut loose earlier this year.
When he didn’t get an offer to his liking in free agency, he made the decision to call it quits after what he called the hardest year of his career.
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“I kind of made my mind up a week ago that I was probably most likely done,” Wolitarsky said on a Zoom interview from Madeira, Portugal.
“Honestly, man, I just didn’t feel like I had a deal on the table I was happy with. I feel like it was just at that point where it’s like, you’re not really feeling very wanted. And at the same time, it’s like you’re just kind of chasing something out of your pride rather than being real about it.
“I really wanted to retire as a Bomber. That’s just where I feel like my heart was, man. That’s where I put all my heart and soul into, community-wise — had so many friends out there, the music scene. It just made sense.”
Since making the decision, Wolitarsky has been reaching out to former teammates for advice. He’s still not even sure where he’s going to live with his wife and two kids yet, but he wants no part of an office job and is open to working in football.
“I’ll tell you what I won’t be doing,” said Wolitarsky. “I will not be sitting at a desk from nine to five buddy. I cannot do that. I will not do that.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
