Bombers' SAM Carousel: Smith's Hip Injury Hands Griffin a Playoff Audition
Winnipeg's strong-side linebacker spot has been a season-long tug-of-war, and Jaylen Smith's hip injury just settled it by default. Smith, the 24-year-old rookie second-rounder out of North Texas, had made seven starts and posted 46 tackles before missing the entire practice week and landing on the
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Smith injury forces Bombers into ratio patch job with rookie Novak
Jaylen Smith, a 24-year-old Canadian second-round pick, had 46 tackles in seven starts at SAM before a hip injury suffered vs Calgary. Replacing him with Michael Griffin II (39 defensive tackles, one sack, one forced fumble in nine starts) likely shifts the ratio, forcing Winnipeg to promote Canadian LB Lane Novak—four special-teams tackles in 10 games—from the practice roster. That’s a hidden cost: a fifth-round rookie occupies a roster spot for ratio compliance, not defensive production.
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The Bombers' Nine-Year Playoff Streak Is a Lie and Everyone Knows It
Winnipeg's 8-8, needs a win in Edmonton Friday night to clinch, and they're 0-2 against the Elks — including that Week 4 mess at Princess Auto Stadium where they fumbled FOUR times in the first half. Four. At home. Against a team that won four games the year before. Here's what the panel shows won't say: that nine-year playoff streak is wallpaper over drywall. They haven't won a playoff game since the 2024 West Final. They got bounced as a crossover last November by Montreal. And the depth chart is telling on them — Jaylen Smith, their 2025 second-rounder out of North Texas, is on the one-game injured list with a hip, so they're back to Michael Griffin II, a journeyman who's already been through Calgary. Lane Novak gets promoted off the practice roster to fill the spot. That's not depth.