Canadian QB Taylor Elgersma does not view Winnipeg Blue Bombers as backup plan

Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma respects the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and does not view being drafted by the franchise as his backup plan.

“Winnipeg’s not a backup for anything. I have great respect for the culture of that locker room, for what the CFL is. I don’t view it at all as a plan A or plan B,” Elgersma told 3DownNation.

“I’ve said all along throughout the draft process when I was interviewed by teams that my goal is to be a pro quarterback and that’s ultimately what my dream has always been — to make a living playing the game I love. I don’t think of Winnipeg as a backup at all.”

The Blue Bombers selected Elgersma in the second round, 18th overall during the 2025 CFL Draft on April 29, 2025. He’d been invited to rookie mini-camps with the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills, but there was no contract in place with either team.

Elgersma was in Green Bay from Thursday, May 1 through Saturday, May 3 for rookie mini-camp. He ended up not attending Buffalo’s rookie mini-camp, instead returning to Wisconsin for follow-up interviews on Saturday, May 10 through Sunday, May 11. He officially put pen to paper with the Packers on Monday, May 12.

The six-foot-five, 227-pound QB completed 16-of-23 passes for 166 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while playing in three NFL preseason games with Green Bay, recording a 104.6 QB rating.

It seemed as though he earned the No. 3 job behind Jordan Love and Malik Willis. Despite public praise from head coach Matt LaFleur, the coaching staff and personnel evaluators decided to release him after training camp and bring in Clayton Tune, who had been waived by the Arizona Cardinals.

Two days after leaving the Packers, the New York Giants called and brought Elgersma in for a workout. There was positive feedback from the team, but no contract was offered.

More than three months passed before his next NFL trip. The San Francisco 49ers brought him in on December 1. Eight days later, the Chicago Bears took a live look in the Windy City, then the Miami Dolphins provided a quick round-trip visit to South Beach.

“His agent and I talk all the time — nothing’s changed. They made it perfectly clear they’re going to go through this process. He’s had some workouts. He’s going to see it right through until the until the bitter end,” Blue Bombers’ general manager Kyle Walters said from the CFL’s winter meetings.

“Hopefully, if he doesn’t have a futures contract in February, then they’ll turn their attention to the CFL, but they are still 100 percent focused on getting an NFL contract. No change from when we talked last.”

The 23-year-old passer was recently selected by the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL draft, which could alter Winnipeg’s preferred timeline for him signing with the Blue and Gold.

If he chooses to play in the United Football League, he’d report to the Stallions with all other quarterbacks on Monday, February 16. Other players report for training camp Thursday, February 19. The Canadian citizen would need to obtain a United States work permit in order to play in the UFL.

However, in the meantime, there continues to be interest and dialogue with NFL teams.

“With timing of things and being Canadian, it’s important to look at the timeline of opportunities and right now is the NFL window. For me being able to build my resume in the American game, it’s only going to continue to allow me to grow and develop as a player. I’ve seen a lot of growth in my game going through training camp with the Packers, preseason and the draft prep,” Elgersma said.

“When I think about my career, I think it’s going to be a long one.”