The 2024 Hamilton Tiger-Cats experienced the exhilaration of having one of the most explosive offensive units in the CFL, and simultaneously, they felt the pain of having one of the most inconsistent defensive units in the CFL. For a Tiger-Cats fanbase starving for Hamilton to win their first Grey Cup championship since 1999, today’s free agent signings give hope that this could be the season the Tiger-Cats get another chance to experience a championship season. According to the Twitter account and the ticats.ca website announcements, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have officially signed American wide receiver Kenny Lawler, American defensive back Reggie Stubblefield, and American defensive lineman TyJuan Garbutt.
Lawler Moving East to Join the Tiger-Cats
The addition of Kenny Lawler to a Tiger-Cats expansive receiver room with multiple-time CFL All-Star Tim White, rookie sensation Shemar Bridges, and breakout receiver Kiondre Smith should be a perfect fit for the Tiger-Cats passing game. Couple that combination of wide receivers with quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell coming off one of his best seasons in recent history 2025 could be a massive season for the Tiger-Cats offence. Lawler comes to Hamilton after playing four seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and one season with the Edmonton Elks.
During his five season career in the CFL, Lawler have established himself as a consistent playmaker. In 2019 Lawler started his first two-year stint with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and during that time Lawler played in 29 games catching 110 passes for 1,657 yards and 10 touchdowns. In 2022, the Edmonton Elks signed Lawler to a one-year contract where Lawler played in 12 games and caught 58 passes for 894 yards and five touchdowns. Lawler then returned to Winnipeg in 2023 for another two-year stint and he played in 22 more games for the Blue Bombers catching 91 passes for 1,563 yards and 10 touchdowns.
During the 2019 and 2021 seasons Lawler helped lead the Blue Bombers to Grey Cup victories over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Now Lawler is coming to play for the Tiger-Cats after signing a two-year contract. There are high hopes in the Tiger-Cats organization that the addition of Lawler will help the Tiger-Cats bounce back from a disappointing season and return to championship contender status in 2025.
Reggie Stubblefield Comes in to Add Strength to the Sam Linebacker Position
The defensive counterpart to Lawler’s addition to the Tiger-Cats’ offense is former Montreal Sam linebacker Reggie Stubblefield’s addition to Hamilton’s roster. Stubblefield has signed a three-year contract with the Tiger-Cats after an injury-shortened season in 2024. Hamilton is gambling on the expectation that Stubblefield will return to his 2023 form in 2025.
Stubblefield started his CFL career in 2023 with the Montreal Alouettes, and in his first season, he played in 14 games for Montreal. In 2024, expectations for Stubblefield were high, but in the first game of the season, Stubblefield suffered a season-ending injury. Historically, the Tiger-Cats have had lousy luck with adding injury-prone free agents, but Stubblefield’s injury is a rare situation for the former Kansas State Wildcat.
Garbutt Comes to Hamilton to Reinforce the Tiger-Cats Defensive Line
Another defensive position group the Tiger-Cats need to address this off-season is the depth and quality of their defensive line. Defensive lineman TyJuan Garbutt comes to Hamilton after a two-year stint with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The 6’2″, 261-pound Garbutt has signed a two-year contract with Hamilton.
During the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Garbutt played 13 games for the Blue Bombers and recorded 20 solo tackles and three quarterback sacks. The vast majority of Garbutt’s experience and stats come from the 2024 season, after he only had the opportunity to play in one game for Winnipeg during the 2023 season. Garbutt brings Grey Cup championship game experience to the Tiger-Cats roster.
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