‘He really boosted this group for us’

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers got what they paid for in Jarell Broxton.

The club made the 33-year-old from Maryland the CFL’s highest-paid American offensive lineman in free agency, and he has proven to be worth every penny.

That was emphasized Wednesday when Broxton was announced as the league’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.

“Man, it’s a blessing,” Broxton told reporters.

“I keep myself at a high standard. I just feel like if I just kept putting the work in, kept putting the work in, eventually my skill-set would be noticed. It’s a shock, but at the same time I hope for the best for myself every year.”

He was in a meeting room with his fellow offensive linemen when left tackle Stanley Bryant announced the news and handed him the trophy — a fitting way to find out.

With Bryant turning 40 and potentially playing his final season, the moment could also represent a passing of the torch.

“It’s surreal, getting this trophy from a four-time (Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman),” said Broxton. “It was great.”

The accomplishment is even more impressive considering Broxton changed positions this season. He was an all-star left tackle with the B.C. Lions but moved to the right side in Winnipeg to accommodate Bryant.

“Yeah, it let me know that the right side isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, overthinking it in the off-season,” said Broxton.

“I actually kind of like it. Right tackle, I feel like maybe I can still be there come next year. I feel like I did good and had the right mindset coming in.”

The Bombers led the league in sacks allowed with 42. The Montreal Alouettes, whom Winnipeg will meet Saturday in the Eastern final (3 p.m. kickoff), surrendered just 19.

Despite that disparity, Broxton finished with 95 points in the voting, well ahead of the next three candidates, all from Montreal: Nick Callender (70), Pier-Olivier Lestage (45) and Donald Ventrelli (43).

“So regardless of the team stat, his personal stats, which don’t mean much to players who play team sports, but his personal stats were very, very good,” said head coach Mike O’Shea.

“He’s played at a very high level every single game, so his consistency is there.”

Broxton is the seventh Bomber to win the award. He is also the second member of the Blue and Gold to receive league-wide recognition this season, joining kick returner Trey Vaval — who was named the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player last week.

“He’s the strongest player I’ve ever played with,” said right guard Patrick Neufeld.

“He can delete people off the screen. He can seriously move people and get stuff rolling quickly for us. And he’s got a quiet confidence about him. He’s not a big talker but he’s very cerebral in his game. He’s very precise in what he wants to do out on the field and I think it’s reflected in that award.”

Broxton has started 17 games and has helped running back Brady Oliveira lead the league in rushing with 1,493 yards. He also ranked second among offensive tackles with a Pro Football Focus grade of 75.2.

“He really boosted this group for us,” said Oliveira.

“I like to call him a silent assassin… You turn on the tape and the guy’s physical, he’s a specimen, he’s massive, he’s moving guys in the run game, he’s blocking guys in the pass game. He’s just really good. And also just a really good dude.”

After a stint in the Arena Football League, Broxton signed with Winnipeg in 2020. But the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the season was cancelled. He joined B.C. in 2021 and eventually became the Lions’ top offensive lineman from 2023 to 2025.

“It is a wild story. It’s like it was meant to happen. Like I was meant to be here. Just coming back full-circle, it’s great,” said Broxton.

The individual accolade is nice, but Broxton has his sights set on another piece of hardware.

“Coming into the season everybody has a personal goal. Of course I want to prove that I could be the best lineman in the league,” said Broxton.

“But the Grey Cup definitely trumps the individual awards.”

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