The Calgary Stampeders have brought back American defensive lineman B.J. Thompson.
The six-foot-six, 241-pound edge rusher first signed with the Stamps on September 22, 2025. He finished the season on the club’s practice roster and did not see any game action.
Thompson was a fifth-round selection by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2023 NFL Draft and played one game as a rookie, recording two tackles. He was on the roster when the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII.
The native of England, Ark., suffered a seizure during a special teams meeting on June 6, 2024, and went into cardiac arrest. He was taken to the hospital and made a full recovery, finishing the year on the non-football injury list before being waived in May.
Thompson played his final three collegiate seasons at Stephen F. Austin University. In 33 games for the Lumberjacks, he recorded 79 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and one interception. He transferred after two years at Baylor University, where he posted 18 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks and three blocked kicks in 19 games.
The Calgary Stampeders finished third in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record, but lost the West Semi-Final to the B.C. Lions. Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 4,247 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions over 17 regular-season starts, posting an 11-6 record as the team’s starting quarterback.
The Stampeders ranked fourth in net offence, seventh in net defence, and second with a turnover differential of plus-nine. Dedrick Mills won the CFL’s rushing title with 1,409 yards, while the team’s leading receiver was Dominique Rhymes with 886 yards, and the leading tackler was Jacob Roberts with 102 tackles. Calgary finished fifth in attendance with average crowds of 22,295, which was a 3.5 percent increase from the previous year.
