Winnipeg Blue Bombers bring back placekicker Sergio Castillo
Texan signed to 1-year contract in what would be his 3rd stint in blue and gold
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are bringing back placekicker Sergio Castillo, one of the club's heroes from the 2021 Grey Cup.
The Winnipeg Football Club announced Thursday the signing of Castillo to a one-year contract in what will be the American kicker's third stint in blue and gold.
Castillo, 32, began his Canadian Football League career in Winnipeg in 2015, when he made 10 of 13 field-goal attempts.
He returned to Winnipeg at the trade deadline in 2021 and went on to score 18 points in the Bombers' 33-25 Grey Cup victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Although Castillo scored more points than any other player in that game, the Bombers elected to go with Canadian Marc Liegghio at kicker in 2022.
Castillo played in Edmonton last year, where he made 37 out of 44 of his field-goal attempts and converted 26 out of 29 extra-point attempts.
Throughout his CFL career with the Bombers, Elks, Tiger-Cats, B.C Lions and Ottawa RedBlacks, Castillo has made 85.5 per cent of his field goals and 90.4 per cent of his converts.
The Elks released Castillo earlier Thursday. In Winnipeg, he is expected to compete with Liegghio as well as American kickers Marc Orozco and Chandler Staton.
Liegghio struggled in Winnipeg's 24-23 Grey Cup loss to the Toronto Argonauts in 2022, during which he missed a convert and had a late, potentially game-winning field goal blocked.