German DE Thiadric Hansen continues as trailblazing Global with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts
Thiadric Hansen, the pioneering German defensive lineman, continues as a member of the Toronto Argonauts’ defense and special teams after remaining with the CFL club for the 2025 season, marking an ongoing chapter in his trailblazing career. The Flensburg native’s move to Toronto last year followed two injury-disrupted seasons in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who he had played for since 2019. He was limited to just four games in his final year with Winnipeg (2023).
Hansen first made history as a cornerstone of Winnipeg’s dynasty, helping secure back-to-back Grey Cup titles in 2021 and 2022 after helping them win the Grey Cup in 2019. Drafted seventh overall in the 2019 CFL Global Draft, the 6’2”, 245-pound edge rusher became the prototype for international success in a league expanding its worldwide footprint. His explosive first-step quickness and technical prowess disrupted offenses during Winnipeg’s championship runs, proving European athletes could excel in Canada’s physical brand of football.
Thiadric Hansen helped Winnipeg win the 2019 Grey Cup. Photo: Jason Halstead/CFL.ca
Now revitalized with the Argonauts, Hansen aims to replicate his championship pedigree while mentoring Toronto’s growing contingent of Global players. His journey from the German Football League’s Potsdam Royals to CFL stardom has redefined opportunities for international prospects, with three Germans drafted in 2024 alone. Off the field, Hansen continues community initiatives launched during his Winnipeg tenure, recently partnering with Toronto youth football programs. As the CFL’s global initiative enters its sixth season, Hansen remains both a symbol of its potential and a living challenge to football’s traditional geographic boundaries.
Toronto Argonauts DE Thiadric Hansen in pursuit of Winnipeg ball carrier Photo by Nathan Denette /THE CANADIAN PRESS
European Foundations: From Kiel to Polish Glory
Before his CFL breakthrough, Hansen refined his craft in Europe’s trenches. After six seasons (2012-2018) with the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in Germany’s top-tier GFL, he joined the Potsdam Royals in 2019, where his 6.5-sack campaign helped position him for CFL draft consideration later that year. When the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 CFL season, Hansen returned to Europe with Poland’s Wroclaw Panthers, dominating as a defensive anchor with 11.5 tackles for loss and 4 forced fumbles en route to their Polish Bowl championship. This Polish league stint proved crucial, allowing him to maintain elite conditioning before rejoining Winnipeg for their 2021 Grey Cup run.
Hansen spent the 2020 cancelled CFL season with the Wroclaw Panthers in the Polish Football League
Transatlantic Bridge-Builder
Hansen’s Wroclaw Panthers tenure (2020) and earlier Potsdam Royals experience (2019) established him as a transatlantic football pioneer. His physical, technical style – honed through 87 GFL games with Kiel and Potsdam – translated seamlessly to Poland’s Liga Futbolu Amerykańskiego, where he became the first CFL Global draftee to win a European domestic title.
These European chapters laid the foundation for his signature CFL hybrid playstyle, blending German positional discipline with Polish league-tested aggression.
