Adarius Bowman will not be returning to the CFL after all.

The veteran wide receiver and three-time CFL All-Star reaffirmed his retirement on Wednesday. Bowman, who had initially retired in 2019, had signed to play with the Edmonton Elks in January.

"I'm honoured and grateful to be able to retire with the EE," Bowman said in a statement. "I'm thankful for the opportunities the country of Canada and the city of Edmonton gave to a young kid who grew into a man. To all my teammates, coaches, and the entire staff in Edmonton, thank y'all for some of the best moments in my life."

Bowman, 36, spent seven seasons in Edmonton from 2011 to 2017, winning a Grey Cup in 2015. In his time with Edmonton, Bowman posted four 1,000-yard-plus receiving seasons. In 2016, Bowman set a franchise record with 120 receptions.

"I first met Adarius when he was playing high school ball in Chattanooga, Tennessee, so I've known him for a longtime and was lucky enough to see him develop into a terrific football player," Elks head coach Chris Jones, who previously coached Bowman in Edmonton, said in a statement. "He's one of the best receivers in franchise history and was a big part of our 2015 Grey Cup win. I'm happy he could retire here in Edmonton where he belongs."

For his career, Bowman hauled in 652 receptions for 9,491 yards and 49 touchdowns in 141 games with Edmonton, the Montreal Alouettes, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders over 11 CFL seasons.