2026 Winnipeg Blue Bomber Salaries

[Jesse]

So many/some think we aren't looking like we'll be over cap for '26?

Just like any other time we have this discussion, we just don't know.

Like with Brady, his 290k salary seems nuts, but if we gave him a 100k signing bonus and 50k is marketing money, he's only 140k against the cap.

Wilson has signed 2 different contracts since coming back midway through the year, who the heck knows how much is against the books for 2026?

With the OL, if we replace random American making 70k with Broxton's 250k, we're increasing our spending by 180k, but the salary cap is also over 600k more than what we spent last season.

There are just so many more variables that we're not privy to. The rising cap and our ability to sign players to last years cap certainly makes it believable that Walters can make it fit. But it's just impossible to know.

[TBURGESS]

You're trying to spin it the other way. lol

I'm not trying to spin anything.

Facts: 
No one around here knows how much 2025 SMS we had available.
Players signed in December's bonus money would first go to the available 2025 SMS until it was eliminated, then it would go to 2026.

Example: 
If the remaining SMS was $10, then almost all of the bonus money would go to 2026's SMS. 

Therefore:
Players signed in December's bonus money may or may not have been in the 2025 SMS. 

[theaardvark]

I truly hope they blew up the 2025 $SMS and every $ for $ match as well.  I'd like to see us having spent $99,999 over the cap for 2025.

[Blue In BC]

I truly hope they blew up the 2025 $SMS and every $ for $ match as well.  I'd like to see us having spent $99,999 over the cap for 2025.

It was a bad idea last year and it would have been a bad idea this year or any year.

[Blue In BC]

I'm not trying to spin anything.

Facts:
No one around here knows how much 2025 SMS we had available.
Players signed in December's bonus money would first go to the available 2025 SMS until it was eliminated, then it would go to 2026.

Example:
If the remaining SMS was $10, then almost all of the bonus money would go to 2026's SMS.

Therefore:
Players signed in December's bonus money may or may not have been in the 2025 SMS.

We all know and understand the math but we're talking probabilities. It's been mentioned that every off season teams re-sign potential free agents before the end of the year. They seldom go over the SMS as a result.

History suggests we used a lot of 2025 SMS room since it was also a bigger increase that we didn't know about early enough to spend in free agency or re-signing players.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

We all know and understand the math but we're talking probabilities. It's been mentioned that every off season teams re-sign potential free agents before the end of the year. They seldom go over the SMS as a result.

History suggests we used a lot of 2025 SMS room since it was also a bigger increase that we didn't know about early enough to spend in free agency or re-signing players.

History also suggest Walters does not intentionally overspend his budget, if he doesn't spend it all during the season it makes it easy to spend what remains on contracts and bonuses for the following season.  Home Grey Cup games make no difference to him, every year he takes the same approach.

[TBURGESS]

We all know and understand the math but we're talking probabilities. It's been mentioned that every off season teams re-sign potential free agents before the end of the year. They seldom go over the SMS as a result.

History suggests we used a lot of 2025 SMS room since it was also a bigger increase that we didn't know about early enough to spend in free agency or re-signing players.

History suggests and 2025 don't go in the same sentence. 

We probably used last years SMS for some players bonuses isn't what you've been saying at all. 

[Blue In BC]

History suggests and 2025 don't go in the same sentence.

We probably used last years SMS for some players bonuses isn't what you've been saying at all.

It's exactly what I've been saying.

[Tecno]

History suggests and 2025 don't go in the same sentence.

We probably used last years SMS for some players bonuses isn't what you've been saying at all.

It's exactly what I've been saying.

BinBC: in this thread only.  In all previous threads you've been saying we probably blew the whole '25 cap including the extra $400k in reg season 2025 because of all the 1GIR use.

If you've morphed into thinking there was lots of '25 cap left, great, glad you're joining the club!

[Tecno]

Home Grey Cup games make no difference to him, every year he takes the same approach.

Tru dat.  2015 and 2025 were both one and done playoff years.  '15 we still kinda stunk, but what's 25's excuse?

KW may think it's prudent, and maybe it is when it comes to long term success, but at the time it sure aggravates most fans who want to "pull a BC"!!

Maybe sucking in '25 by not spending worth a darn is what will propel us to '26 success with splash FA moves -- because we saved all that cap to use on re-signings.  If we went over by $99k in '25, and go over by $99k in '26, plus the $400k freebie last year, plus finally use MMM like BC does... we can afford to put together the best team (on paper) in quite a while.  Ya, ya, not "The Mafia Way", but a fan can dream, eh?

[Tecno]

We didn't bring back Kolo, Vaughters, Houston, Streveler, Gauthier, Hallett and over 20 players in total that were with the team last year. Others that were re-signed may have taken a pay cut.

But almost all of those guys were budget!!  Think of it in terms of position, or like-for-like, who's-gone-vs-who's-acquired.  Kolo gone and Broxton in.  That's a huge extra hit to SMS.  Vaughters gone, Ceresna in: double price.  Houston gone, Moxey in: at least $35k more.

All the uber-budget and nobody players were barely above ELC or norm for their position.  So those few positions going back down to ELC doesn't add up to much.  Just Broxton's bump over Ko-man alone will eat that entire group's savings up!

Besides going to ELC on a few more positions, I can't really think of any FA pickup that actually costs less than whatever vet we let walk in that unit!  And that is why we're going super tight to the cap this year.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Tru dat.  2015 and 2025 were both one and done playoff years.  '15 we still kinda stunk, but what's 25's excuse?

KW may think it's prudent, and maybe it is when it comes to long term success, but at the time it sure aggravates most fans who want to "pull a BC"!!

Maybe sucking in '25 by not spending worth a darn is what will propel us to '26 success with splash FA moves -- because we saved all that cap to use on re-signings.  If we went over by $99k in '25, and go over by $99k in '26, plus the $400k freebie last year, plus finally use MMM like BC does... we can afford to put together the best team (on paper) in quite a while.  Ya, ya, not "The Mafia Way", but a fan can dream, eh?

If they demonstrate a change in attitude and go over budget it may be that Wade intervened to halt the slide and get them back on track.  From his perspective success comes down to a sold out stadium with lots of food, booze and merch sales.  The key to keeping the stands full is creating a fun environment for everyone and Bomber fans are famously only joyful when the team is winning. 

No other president currently in the league has been able to come close to doing what he's done, those idiots in Toronto should be embarrassed how badly he's kicking their butts.

[GCn19]

I cant find enough spending during the season last year to even come close to the 400k  we didnt spend after the SMS went up. Not to mention Schoen's 6 game stints etc.

We almost definitely had SMS left for 2025. KW doesn't go shopping unless he has cash.