Note Done Yet: John Bowman inks two-year deal with Als
MONTREAL — Another off-season of speculating whether or not John Bowman will retire or not has been put to rest. The 36-year-old future hall of famer tweeted that he will play in 2018 on Monday and the following day signed a two year deal in Montreal.
“To have John back with us is excellent news for our team. He is still one of the best defensive players in our league and he personifies longevity and excellence,” said Alouettes General Manager Kavis Reed. “He is a true leader on the field and in the locker room. No doubt that the presence of this future hall of famer will be a plus for our organization.”
I will be playing fball this season I more chance at that cup.
— John N. Bowman (@7Bowman) February 11, 2019
The tweet comes after many, including Bowman himself, thought that we had seen the last of the veteran defensive end. In an October 2018 feature on CFL.ca, Bowman told senior writer Chris O’Leary that he was “98 per cent (sure) he was done” playing in the CFL.
“I tell everybody I’ll think about it, whatever, I’ll let everybody know in January but I’ve already told my coaches and everything like that,” he told O’Leary. “I’m 98 per cent done.”
Should Bowman indeed decide to suit up in ’19, he will enter his 14th season in a career that has seen him dominate the line of scrimmage and make lives miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
Last season, Bowman added another 32 tackles and five QB sacks to his career totals that that now tally 406 defensive tackles and 126 sacks.