The Calgary Stampeders re-signed offensive lineman Zack Williams to a two-year contract extension through the 2028 season, and signed defensive lineman Khairi Manns on Wednesday. Williams was already under contract through the 2026 season.
Zack Williams is six foot four and weighs 315 pounds. The 29-year-old from Winnipeg, Manitoba, re-signed with the Stampeders on December 23, 2024. In 2024, Williams started 18 games at left guard.
Calgary’s offense averaged 24.8 points per game, 375.6 net offense per game, 261.9 passing yards per game, 126.7 rushing yards per game, 44 touchdowns, and allowed 33 sacks. The Stampeders finished the season with an 11-7 record, losing to the B.C. Lions in the Western Semi-Final. Williams was Calgary’s nominee for the league’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award and was named a CFL West All-Star in 2025.
The Calgary Stampeders drafted Williams in the third round (28th pick) of the 2019 CFL Draft. Williams has played 81 games in five seasons with Calgary.
In 2024, Williams played 12 games. Calgary’s offense averaged 21.5 points per game, 354.1 net offense per game, 108.6 rushing yards per game, 260.1 passing yards per game, 40 touchdowns, and allowed 30 sacks in 2024.
Collegiately, Williams played four seasons at the University of Manitoba (2015-18), playing 32 games for the Bisons. In 2018, Manitoba’s offense averaged 467.3 total yards per game, 168.1 rushing yards per game, 299.1 passing yards per game, 28.1 points per game, and 23 touchdowns.
Khairi Manns is six foot three and weighs 240 pounds. The 25-year-old from New Rochelle, New York, attended the New York Giants rookie minicamp in 2025. The D.C. Defenders signed Manns on March 10, 2026. He attended training camp before the team released him on March 19, 2026.
Collegiately, Manns spent three seasons at the University of Maine (2020-22) with 108 tackles (31 solos, 77 assists), 15.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 26 games for the Black Bears. In 2022, he made 43 tackles (8 solos, 35 assists), 6.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and one forced fumble in 11 games.
Next, he transferred to Colorado in 2023 with nine tackles (6 solos, 3 assists), one tackle for loss, and one sack in 11 games for the Buffaloes. Then, he transferred to James Madison University in 2024 with a career-high 66 tackles (28 solos, 38 assists), 12.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 13 games for the Dukes. He was named Second Team All-Sun Belt, First Team All-ECAC, First Team VaSID All-State, Third Team All-American by HERO Sports, and JMU’s Defensive Lineman of the Year.
